DREXEL?S MASTROPAOLO HIGHLIGHTS PRESEASON ALL-CAA FIELD HOCKEY SQUAD
RICHMOND,
Va. (August 27, 2010) - Drexel senior forward Christina Mastropaolo has been chosen
as the 2010 CAA preseason field hockey Player of the Year in a vote by the
league's head coaches. Joining Mastropaolo on the preseason All-CAA squad are
teammates Susan Ciufo and Jenna Phillips, Delaware's Michelle Drummonds and
Missy Woodie, Hofstra's Genna Kovar, James Madison's Dolores de Rooij,
Northeastern's Kaela Barker and Crystal Poland, VCU's Marle van Dessel and
William & Mary's Maria Caro.
Mastropaolo,
the reigning CAA Player of the Year, returns for her final season after posting
a league-best 29 goals and 69 points in 2009, both school records. A Second
Team NFHCA All-America selection a year ago, Mastropaolo led the nation with 10
game-winning goals, seven of which were scored in consecutive games during the
season. The Harleyville, Pa., native also helped lead the Dragons to their
first regular season title in program history and to the second round of the
NCAA Championships in 2009.
Ciufo,
a First Team All-CAA honoree last season, led the league in shots (104) and
shots per game (4.52) and tied for second with 51 points. The senior forward's
21 goals ranked third in the conference and mark the second-highest
single-season total in school history. Ciufo also finished the year in the top
25 nationally in goals per game (0.91) and points per game (2.22). Fellow Dragon
Jenna Phillips set new school single-season records with 18 goalie wins and a .818
winning percentage during her standout rookie campaign. She also tallied a 1.76
goals-against average in 2009, the second best in the conference, on her way to
earning Second Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie accolades.
Drummonds
returns to the Blue Hens after recording a league-leading and school record
seven defensive saves last season. The senior back and First Team All-CAA
honoree became the first Delaware player in five years to post a goal, assist
and defensive save in one game after doing so against Brown in September.
Fellow first team all-conference selection Woodie recorded eight assists in
2009, which led the squad and ranked sixth in the CAA. The senior back brings a
wealth of experience to the field this season, as she is the only current Blue Hen
to appear in each of the team's 57 contests since 2007.
Kovar,
a junior forward, led the Pride with 15 goals, five assists and 35 points a
year ago. The 2009 NFHCA All-America third team and All-CAA first team
selection ranked fourth in the league in both goals per game (0.75) and points
per game (1.75) last season.
de
Rooij returns to the Dukes after also having received First Team All-CAA
designation last season. The senior forward scored 13 goals and 28 points in
2009, which ranked fifth and sixth in the league, respectively. de Rooij also
finished sixth in goals per game (0.65) and ninth in points per game (1.40) in
the CAA this past season.
Poland,
a sophomore forward, earned First Team All-CAA and CAA All-Rookie nods after leading
the Huskies in goals (12), points (30), shots (71), shots on goal (51) and game-winning
goals (3) last season. She also broke the program's single-season record for
points and became the first freshman to lead the team in points since 1989 en
route to being named to the WomensFieldHockey.com All-Rookie squad. Barker was
named to the 2009 All-CAA second team after recording five goals and five
assists as a sophomore. The junior midfielder was also the only Husky to tally
a goal and a defensive save in the same game when she did so against Hofstra in
October.
van
Dessel, who received Second Team All-CAA accolades in 2009, ranked eighth in
goals (11) and goals per game (0.65) in the league last season. The senior
midfielder's 4.12 shots-per-game average and 70 shots also ranked fourth and
eighth in the CAA, respectively, and her 1.35 points per game were a team best.
Caro returns to the
Tribe lineup after posting a team-best two defensive saves last season, a tally
that ranked ninth in the league. The sophomore back also contributed two goals
and an assist in 2009 and was named to the CAA All-Rookie team.
| 2010 PRESEASON ALL-CAA FIELD HOCKEY TEAM |
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| Kaela Barker, Northeastern |
M |
Jr. |
North Vancover, British Columbia |
| Maria Caro, William & Mary |
D/M |
So. |
Martinsville, N.J. |
| Susan Ciufo, Drexel |
F |
Sr. |
Bangor, Pa. |
| Dolores de Rooij, James
Madison |
F/M |
Sr. |
Vaardingen, The Netherlands |
| Michelle Drummonds, Delaware |
B |
Sr. |
Elkton, Md. |
| Genna Kovar, Hofstra |
F/M |
Jr. |
Hampton Bays, N.Y. |
| Christina Mastropaolo, Drexel |
F |
Sr. |
Harleysville, Pa. |
| Jenna Phillips, Drexel |
GK |
So. |
Horsham, Pa. |
| Crystal Poland, Northeastern |
F |
So. |
Crofton, British Columbia |
| Marle van Dessel, VCU |
M |
Sr. |
Oisterwijk, The Netherlands |
| Missy Woodie, Delaware |
B/M |
Sr. |
Fredericksburg, Va. |
Honorable
Mention: Loran
Hatch, Old Dominion; Kathryn Kirk, Old Dominion; Sofia Sanguinetti, Drexel;
Kelsey Scherrer, VCU; Kim Tunell, Drexel
PRESEASON
CAA FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Christina Mastropaolo, Drexel