W&J's Buyan Tabbed Empire 8 Player of the Year; All-Conference Teams Released

11/5/2018 8:42:26 PM

 
Washington & Jefferson's Rachel Buyan was named the Empire 8 Conference Player of the Year as the league announced the 2018 Field Hockey All-Conference and Major Award winners today. Buyan helped lead the Presidents to the E8 Conference title for the second straight season. Her goal in the championship game would be the difference in a 1-0 win over St. John Fisher.

Buyan's coaches - led by head coach, Jomara Coghlan - was selected the conference coaching staff of the year for the second consecutive season. The Presidents defended their E8 title this fall and won their first-ever NCAA Tournament game with a 3-0 win over Rhodes in the First Round. Stevens' Emily Franco was recognized by the league's coaches as the conference's rookie of the year following an impressive first year on campus for the Ducks. 

For a complete list of all-conference members and award winners, please see below. The awards and honorees are voted on by the league's head coaches.

CLOSER LOOK
Rachel Buyan had another tremendous campaign for the Presidents. She was among the top scorers in the E8 as her 16 goals were fourth-best, while her 36 total points also put her fourth overall. She played a big role in leading W&J to their second-straight conference title this fall as her goal in the title game would prove to be the difference in a 1-0 win. It was one of seven game winning tallies for the California native, tops in the league this fall. Buyan was also named a First Team All-Conference Selection.

Stevens' Emily Franco posted a 1.40 goals against average in helping lead the Ducks back to the postseason this fall. The first-year goalie appeared in 18 games for the Ducks, and was among the league-leaders in virtually every statistical category. Whe was third in goals against average (1.40), third in save percentage (.785), and seventh in saves per game (4.67). Her two shutouts was also tied for fourth-best in the E8 this fall. She was also named an All-Conference First Team honoree. 

The W&J coaching staff, led by Jomara Coghlan, was once again recognized as the E8 Coaching Staff of the Year. It's the second-straight year they've been honored by their peers. The Presidents had a record-breaking 2018 as they finished the year with a record of 18-2, and won their second-straigth conference title. W&J would go on to defeat Rhodes in the 1st Round of the NCAA Tournament, posting the first-ever NCAA win in the program's history. Their historic season would come to an end as they fell to 6th-ranked Salisbury, 1-0 in overtime.

SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR TEAM
One member of each team was named that institution's representative on the 2018 Field Hockey Sportswoman of the Year Team. The Empire 8 Conference 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.

Player of the Year - Rachel Buyan, Washington & Jefferson
Rookie of the Year - Emily Franco, Stevens 
Coaching Staff of the Year - Washington & Jefferson, led by Jomara Coghlan

1st Team All-Conference
Maria Stalder, Hartwick
Perry Willet, Hartwick
Jessica Livesey, Nazareth
Lauren Fazio, St. John Fisher
Bre Socker, St. John Fisher
Emily Franco, Stevens
Skylar Migliaccio, Stevens
Michaela Thompson, Stevens
Rylee Meelan, Utica
Alana Boyd, Washington & Jefferson
Rachel Buyan, Washington & Jefferson
Rena Israel, Washington & Jefferson 

2nd Team All-Conference
Brooke Singer, Hartwick
Hannah Daniels, Houghton
Caitlin Jennings, Houghton
Nicole Jennings, Houghton
Jennifer Hilts, Nazareth
Ashley Maynard, St. John Fisher
Gianna Palma, St. John Fisher
Regan Littell, Stevens
Sabrina Whitehouse, Utica
Gabby Karr, Washington & Jefferson
Claire Shaak, Washington & Jefferson

Honorable Mention 
Liz Shephard, Elmira
Cortney Conley, Sage
Reghan Amoroso, St. John Fisher 
Ireland Tawney, Stevens
Ricki Haab, Utica

Sportswoman of the Year
Tina O’Donnell, Elmira 
Maggie Stauble, Hartwick
Casidhe Heschke, Houghton 
Kimber Nourse, Nazareth
Brooke Perry, Sage 
Kelly Bergamo, St. John Fisher
Anna Cooper, Stevens 
Maria Orsino, Utica 
Reghan Dunn, Washington & Jefferson

(Listed alphabetically by school) 

About the Empire 8 Conference
The members of the Empire 8 are committed first and foremost to the pursuit of academic excellence and aspire to be regarded as an outstanding NCAA Division III conference. The membership seeks to distinguish itself among its peer group for its quality institutions, spirited and sportsmanlike competition, outstanding services and highly ethical policies and practices. Its commitment to serve the educational needs of its student-athletes is the hallmark of the Empire 8.