ROCHESTER, NY – Utica College placed three student-athletes on the All-Conference First Team and earned one of the three major awards as part of the 2012 Empire 8 Field Hockey Awards. Pioneers’ forward Louise Steele-Norton was named the Player of the Year, Hartwick’s Katie Lonsky was tabbed the Rookie of the Year and St. John Fisher head coach Tarah Christenson earned the Coach of the Year award.
Steele-Norton, a sophomore from Avondale, PA, adds the honors to her first-team all conference selection. Steele-Norton helped lead the Pioneers to their first-ever conference title and second NCAA bid in program history. Currently, Steele-Norton leads the team and conference with 54 points on 26 goals and two assists. Her 26 goals are a new conference record for goals in a season. Her unstoppable offensive play has helped jumpstart Utica’s offense to the tune of 64 goals and 3.2 tallies per game. Steele-Norton has registered at least one point in 17-of-19 games played.
Lonsky, a freshman from Dingmans Ferry, PA, adjusted well to the college game and became one of the Hawks top playmakers. She notched 10 goals and three assists to finish second on the team with 23 points. The forward started all 17 games and registered four goals in one game.
Christenson enjoys her first Empire 8 top coaching honor as the Cardinals competed in just its second year as an NCAA Division III program. Fisher tripled its win-total from the previous year and four of the six wins came against conference foes. The Cardinals earned the No. 3 seed in the Empire 8 Tournament after being predicted to finish eighth in the conference preseason poll.
One member of each team was named that institution’s representative on the 2012 Field Hockey Sportswoman of the Year Team. Empire 8 emphasizes that "Competing with Honor and Integrity" is an essential component of a student-athlete’s experience in conjunction with an institution’s educational mission. These honorees have distinguished themselves and consistently exhibit the critical traits as outstanding sportswomen.
Listed below are the complete 2012 Empire 8 Field Hockey All-Conference Teams.
Empire 8 2012 Field Hockey All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year: Louise Steele-Norton, Utica
Rookie of the Year: Katie Lonsky, Hartwick
Coach of the Year: Tarah Christenson, St. John Fisher
|
FIRST TEAM |
|
|
|
Field Players |
Yr. |
School |
|
Kelsey Kimble |
Sr. |
Hartwick |
|
Ashley Engle |
Sr. |
Houghton |
|
Julia Conroy |
Sr. |
Ithaca |
|
Kailee O'Hara |
Sr. |
Nazareth |
|
Stacie Skidmore |
So. |
St. John Fisher |
|
Megan Traub |
Jr. |
Stevens |
|
Marguerite Chavez |
Jr. |
Stevens |
|
Hannah Mackey |
So. |
Utica |
|
Louise Steele-Norton |
So. |
Utica |
|
Erin Barno |
Sr. |
Washington & Jefferson |
|
Jennifer Marabella |
Sr. |
Washington & Jefferson |
|
Goalkeeper |
|
|
|
Kells Casey |
Fr. |
Utica College |
|
|
|
|
|
SECOND TEAM |
|
|
|
Field Players |
Yr |
School |
|
McKenna Light |
Jr |
Elmira |
|
Cassie Jonaitis |
Sr |
Hartwick |
|
Rachel Stefanski |
Sr |
Houghton |
|
Lindsay Flanagan |
Jr |
Ithaca |
|
Tessa Knapp |
Sr |
Nazareth |
|
Andrea Pace |
Jr |
Ithaca |
|
Lindsey Smith |
Sr |
Nazareth |
|
Marissa Vedella |
So |
St. John Fisher |
|
Mary Nikish |
Sr |
Stevens |
|
Alaina Stojkovski |
So |
Utica |
|
Victoria Patrick |
Jr |
Washington & Jefferson |
|
Goalkeeper |
|
|
|
Lauren Thomas |
Jr |
Elmira |
|
|
|
|
|
HONORABLE MENTION |
|
|
|
Field Players |
Yr |
School |
|
Shannon Nelligan |
Jr |
Elmira |
|
Sierra Mitchell |
Sr |
Houghton |
|
Megan Lefeber |
Jr |
Hartwick |
|
Elizabeth Cusack |
Fr |
St. John Fisher |
|
Meaghan Thornlow |
Sr |
Washington & Jefferson |
|
Goalkeeper |
|
|
|
Danielle Famolaro |
Fr |
St. John Fisher |
|
Kaitlin McClymont |
Sr |
Stevens |
|
|
|
|
|
SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR |
|
|
|
Ashley Palmer |
Fr |
Elmira |
|
Megan Lefeber |
Jr |
Hartwick |
|
Sierra Mitchell |
Sr |
Houghton |
|
Kelly Singleton |
Sr |
Ithaca |
|
Isabel Wittmaack |
So |
Nazareth |
|
Olivia Lopez |
Fr |
St. John Fisher |
|
Samantha Weisman |
Sr |
Stevens |
|
Lindsay James |
Jr |
Utica |
|
Elizabeth Herb |
Sr |
Washington & Jefferson |