FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-82-03-04
Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Nine Elizabethtown College Field Hockey Players Named to NFHCA National Academic Squad

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Nine Elizabethtown College field hockey players, the most in recent memory, have been named to the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad. They are first-year Whitney Brown (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central), first-year Heather Faulhefer (Bethlehem, PA/Freedom), senior Kim Fleager (Lititz, PA/Warwick), first-year Jen Pechart (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic), senior Lauren Potosky (Wrightsville, PA/Eastern York), first-year Laura Rinck (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove), sophomore Melanie Slessinger (Westminster, MD/North Carroll), first-year Megan Smit (New Egypt, NJ/New Egypt) and senior Laura Williams (Bel Air, MD/Fallston). Additionally, Elizabethtown was one of 60 teams recognized throughout NCAA Division III for having a cumulative team grade point average above 3.0.

Brown, a forward, played in five games for the Blue Jays in 2003 and totaled two goals and four points, and Faulhefer made three appearances on defense for Elizabethtown in her first season in 2003.

Fleager, a senior in 2003, helped anchor the Blue Jay defense and tied for the team lead in defensive saves with five while starting all 20 games. Pechart, a first-year forward in 2003, appeared in two games and scored one goal for two points on the season.

Potosky, a senior forward and team co-captain, scored three goals and had two assists for eight points while starting all 20 games in 2003. Rinck, a first-year midfielder, started and played in 16 games in 2003 and totaled one goal and two assists for four points.

Slessinger, a sophomore forward, finished third on the team in goals scored with five and totaled ten points in 2003. Smit, a first-year, played in three games last fall, and Williams, a senior forward, totaled two goals and two assists for six points while starting all 20 games for the Blue Jays.

The Elizabethtown College field hockey team finished the 2003 season with a 7-13 overall and 3-4 Commonwealth Conference record.