University of Albany's Suzy Clephane Among Five Players on All-America East Conference Field Hockey Teams - UAlbany Sports 2009

Cambridge, Mass. - University at Albany's Suzy Clephane has been named the America East Conference Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year, headlining a group of five Great Danes earning all-conference accolades, as announced by the league office on Thursday. UAlbany's Phil Sykes was voted the league's coach of the year award for the second straight season, after guiding his team to its second consecutive regular-season title. In addition, UAlbany placed five on the America East All-Rookie Team.

Clephane, a junior from Auckland, New Zealand, becomes the second UAlbany player to earn the league's top defensive award, following Michele Polizois in 2008. Clephane, who plays on both offensive and defensive penalty corner units, finished with four goals and four assists and made one defensive save. She was also a unanimous selection to the all-conference first team.

Joining Clephane with first-team honors was unanimous selection Nicole Savage and Taylor Luke. Savage, a senior forward, leads the Great Danes this season with six goals and seven assists for 19 total points. A two-time player of the week, Savage started all 16 games for UAlbany this season and earns her fourth straight all-conference award. Luke, a freshman defender, made an immediate impact in the backfield, anchoring a defense that led all Division I team in goals allowed at 0.56 per game.

Luke was also an all-rookie team member, joined by classmates Tegan Brown, Inge Baijens, Brianna Schwoyer and Kristi Troch. Brown, who was also named to the all-league second team, finished third on the UAlbany squad in points with five goals and six assists, taking a team-high 63 shots. Baijens made an immediate impact for the Great Danes' offensive attack, scoring six goals and adding two assists. Schwoyer, a defender, and Troch, a goalkeeper, both saw action in all 16 contests. Troch recorded a 0.88 goals against average in the cage, splitting time with Christine Hoffman, who was named to the all-conference second team for her efforts. The duo of goalkeepers allowed just nine goals in 16 games, and Hoffman's 0.25 goals against average and .935 save percentage led the nation.

Sykes repeated as the conference's coach of the year after guiding UAlbany to a 12-4 overall record and a national ranking as high as 16th during the regular season. The Great Danes have been ranked for six straight weeks, and were the lone undefeated team in the conference until the final game of the regular season. UAlbany earned the right to host the America East Conference Field Hockey Championship for the second straight year.

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2009 America East Conference Field Hockey All-Conference Teams

First Team: Suzy Clephane, Jr., D, UAlbany; Taylor Luke, Fr., D, UAlbany; Nicole Savage, Sr., F, UAlbany; Nikki Lloyd, Sr., F, Boston U.; Jacinda McLeod, Fr., D, Boston U.; Haley Robinson, Sr., D, Boston U.; Kelly Newton, So., F, Maine; Lelia Sacre, So., D, Maine; Whitney Frates, So., F, New Hampshire; Meg Shea, Sr., F, New Hampshire; Kristen Heavens, Sr., GK, Vermont.

Second Team: Tegan Brown, Fr., M, UAlbany; Allie Dolce, Jr., M, Boston U.; Nicole van Oosterom, Fr., F, Boston U.; Carly McCullough, Sr., M, Fairfield; Maire Dineen, Jr., M, Maine; Stephanie Gardiner, So., F, Maine; Jocelyn Mitchell, So., F, Maine; Kara Connolly, Jr., M, New Hampshire; Kendall Deck, So., D, New Hampshire; Sarah Meacham, Sr., D, Vermont; Christine Hoffman, Jr., GK, UAlbany.

All-Rookie Team: Tegan Brown, UAlbany; Inge Baijens, UAlbany; Taylor Luke, UAlbany; Brianna Schwoyer, UAlbany; Kristi Troch, UAlbany; Jacinda McLeod, Boston U.; Nicole van Oosterom, Boston U.; Leslie Zules, Boston U.; Macey Gaumond, Boston U.; Rachael White, Boston U.; Leah Furey, Fairfield; Zoe Adkins, Maine; Chelsea Wagner, Maine; Melyssa Woods, New Hampshire; Taylor Silvestro, Vermont.

Coach of the Year: Phil Sykes, UAlbany

Rookie of the Year: Jacinda McLeod, Boston U.

Goalkeeper of the Year: Kristen Heavens, Vermont

Midfielder of the Year: Allie Dolce, Boston U.

Defensive Player of the Year: Suzy Clephane, UAlbany

Offensive Player of the Year: Meg Shea, New Hampshire


Courtesy: UAlbany Sports Information