Northeastern?s Crystal Poland Highlights Preseason All-CAA Field Hockey Team
RICHMOND, Va. (August 22, 2012) -
Northeastern senior forward Crystal Poland has been named the 2012 CAA preseason
field hockey Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Poland ranked third in the CAA with 27
goals last season and received first team All-America honors from the NFHCA.
The Crofton, British Columbia native led the league in shots per game (5.86) and
ranked second in points per game (2.59). Poland, who is a three-time member of
the All-CAA first team, has scored 50 goals in her career with the Huskies,
including 12 game winners.
Old Dominion had a league-high three
players on the preseason All-CAA squad as junior Kati Nearhouse, senior Maartje
van Rijswijk and sophomore Kelsey Smither were selected. Representing Hofstra
were sophomore Jonel Boileau and senior Krizia Layne, while Drexel had
sophomore Christina Conrad and senior Amanda Fleischut named to the team. James
Madison senior Jenna Taylor and redshirt freshman Taylor West earned spots on
the squad while Poland was joined by Northeastern senior teammate Lizzie
Priest. Rounding out the preseason team was Delaware sophomore Kelsey McKee and
William & Mary senior Leah Zamesnik.
van Rijswijk contributed nine goals and
10 assists to earn second team All-CAA honors. Smither garnered 2011 CAA Rookie
of the Year honors after topping ODU with 13 assists while collecting 21
points. Nearhouse, an NFHCA second team All-American, recorded eight goals and
five assists as ODU advanced to the semifinals of the NCAA Tournament.
Layne was named to the All-CAA second
team in 2011 after ranking fourth in the CAA with 20 goals and 13 assists. Boileau
was fourth on the team in scoring with eight goals and three assists to earn a
spot on the CAA All-Rookie team.
Fleischut led Drexel in points (21),
goals (9), and shots on goal (73). The Doylestown, Pa. native also scored three
game-winning goals for the Dragons and was named to the All-CAA first team.
Conrad ranked third on the team in goals (6) and points (16) and was chosen to
the CAA All-Rookie team.
West led JMU in goals (6) and points
(13) despite only appearing in three games last season. Taylor ranked third on
the team with three goals and four assists en route to being named to the
All-CAA first team.
Priest led all CAA goalkeepers in saves
last season with 148 and ranked second in the league in goals against average
(1.96) and shutouts (3). She was named to the All-CAA first team.
Delaware's McKee was named to the
All-CAA second team in 2011 after contributing nine goals and six assists.
Zamesnik led William & Mary last
season with seven goals, 15 points, and 64 shots on goal. She was named to the
All-CAA first team.
The 2012 CAA field hockey season starts Friday,
August 24 with seven teams in action.
2012 PRESEASON ALL-CAA FIELD HOCKEY TEAM
|
Player, School
|
Pos.
|
Cl.
|
Hometown
|
|
Jonel
Boileau, Hofstra
|
F
|
So.
|
Kelowna,
BC
|
|
Christina
Conrad, Drexel
|
F
|
So.
|
Fallston,
Md.
|
|
Amanda
Fleischut, Drexel
|
M
|
Sr.
|
Doylestown,
Pa.
|
|
Krizia
Layne, Hofstra
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Arima,
Trinidad
|
|
Kelsey
McKee, Delaware
|
B
|
So.
|
Gap,
Pa.
|
|
Kati
Nearhouse, Old Dominion
|
F
|
Jr.
|
Nanticoke,
Pa.
|
|
Crystal
Poland, Northeastern
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Crofton,
BC
|
|
Lizzie
Priest, Northeastern
|
GK
|
Sr.
|
North
Vancouver, BC
|
|
Maartje
van Rijswijk, Old Dominion
|
F
|
Sr.
|
Virginia
Beach, Va.
|
|
Kelsey
Smither, Old Dominion
|
M/B
|
So.
|
Suffolk,
Va.
|
|
Jenna
Taylor, James Madison
|
M
|
Sr.
|
Midlothian,
Va.
|
|
Taylor
West, James Madison
|
F
|
RFr.
|
Princess
Anne, Md.
|
|
Leah
Zamesnik, William & Mary
|
M/F
|
Sr.
|
Norfolk,
Va.
|
| |
|
|
|
Honorable Mention: Emma Clifton,
William & Mary; Jesse Ebner, William & Mary; Kasie Nurko, Towson; Marta
Penas, Hofstra; Megan Penza, Towson; Meghan Plank, Drexel
2012 Preseason
Player of the Year: Crystal
Poland, Northeastern