FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S-85-05-06
Monday, February 27, 2006

Twelve Elizabethtown College Field Hockey Players Named to NFHCA National Academic Squad; Blue Jays Receive NFHCA National Academic Team Award

ELIZABETHTOWN, Pa. --- Twelve members of the 2005 Elizabethtown College field hockey team have earned spots on the National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association (NFHCA) National Academic Squad by posting cumulative grade point averages of at least 3.30 through the first semester of the 2005-06 academic year. Additionally, the Elizabethtown field hockey team as a whole has earned the NFHCA National Academic Team Award by achieving a team GPA of 3.0 or higher during the first semester of the 2005-06 academic year.

The Blue Jays were one of 73 NCAA Division III field hockey teams nationwide to receive the National Academic Team Award. The Blue Jay players who received spots on the National Academic Squad include junior forward Val Bawell (New Holland, PA/Garden Spot), junior forward Whitney Brown (Manheim, PA/Manheim Central), first-year midfielder Kelsey Diehl (North East, MD/Rising Sun), first-year midfielder Alison Duval (Mechanicsburg, PA/Cumberland Valley), senior goaltender Natalie Lyakhovetskaya (Huntingdon Valley, PA), first-year midfielder Andrea Miles (Phoenix, MD/Notre Dame Prep.), first-year forward Abby Mowery (Lewistown, PA/Indian Valley), junior midfielder Jen Pechart (Hanover, PA/Delone Catholic), junior midfielder Laura Rinck (Selinsgrove, PA/Selinsgrove), first-year forward Alli Stanley (Bear, DE/Caravel Academy), junior forward Bethanie Steese (Watsontown, PA/Warrior Run) and first-year defender Sarah Terry (Orrtanna, PA/Gettysburg).

The Elizabethtown College field hockey team completed the 2005 season with a 13-5 overall record. The team was a semifinalist in the Commonwealth Conference playoffs, and it finished the 2005 season with a national ranking of 17th in NCAA Division III.