December 21, 2011

CENTERVILLE, Mass. -- Four members of the NCAA national champion The College of New Jersey squad lead the 2011 Eastern College Athletic Conference Division III Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey All-Stars team, released on Wednesday.  Lebanon Valley senior forward Jocelyn Novak, Division III’s all-time goals and points leader, earned ECAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, while TCNJ senior defender Alex Okuniewicz was voted the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year.  Catholic freshman Colleen Harwood earned Rookie of the Year accolades.  The All-Stars were determined through votes by coaches or their designee within the Division III membership.
 
Novak entered the 2011 season with a first-team All-America honor and the NCAA Division III career scoring record in her sights.  With a 35-goal, 74-point season, the senior from Brodheadsville, Pa. accomplished that task on Oct. 22 in an 8-2 win over Widener, in which she scored four goals to surpass the previous record of 131 goals.  The senior started the month of October with four consecutive hat tricks, scoring 17 goals over a six-game span.  Finishing her career with 141 goals and 300 points, Novak became the first Lebanon Valley athlete to earn Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association first-team All-America honors throughout all her four years at the institution, earning her second consecutive first-team All-America award this season.  The ECAC Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey Tournament Most Outstanding Player was also named the Middle Atlantic Conference (MAC) Commonwealth Conference Player of the Year, first-team all-Commonwealth and NFHCA All-Region.

Okuniewicz adds the ECAC Defensive Player of the Year award to her list of accolades, which includes the NFHCA Division III National Player of the Year award.  Okuniewicz scored 33 points on 13 goals and seven assists to earn the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Defensive Player of the year Award and a spot on the All-NJAC first team.  The unanimous ECAC first-team All-Star also earned South Atlantic Region Player of the Year honors and a First Team placement on the NFHCA All-America squad.  Okuniewicz also was placed on the NCAA Division III All-Tournament Team, as she helped lead TCNJ to its 10th national championship in school history.

A Rockville, Md., product, Harwood was named as the Cardinals’ first-ever Landmark Conference Rookie of the Year after a standout season, finishing with 33 points and 14 goals.  The All-America Second Team honoree posted a four-goal performance in a 10-0 win over Goucher on Oct. 5.

-- Bryan Montgomery, Asa S. Bushnell Communications Assistant

ECAC Division III Mid-Atlantic Field Hockey All-Stars

Offensive Player of the Year
Jocelyn Novak, Sr., F, Lebanon Valley

Defensive Player of the Year
Alex Okuniewicz, Sr., B, TCNJ

Rookie of the Year
Colleen Harwood, Fr., F/M, Catholic

First Team

Back: Alex Okuniewicz, Sr., TCNJ (New Jersey Athletic Conference)

Back: Tara McGovern, Sr., Salisbury (Capital Athletic Conference)

Back: Nicole Hanby, Sr., Ursinus (Centennial Conference)

Back: Lauren Conner, Sr., Rowan (New Jersey Athletic Conference)

Midfielder: Camille Passucci, Jr., TCNJ (New Jersey Athletic Conference)

Midfielder: Tracey Scanlon, Sr., Catholic (Landmark Conference)

Midfielder: Olivia Triano, Sr., Kean (New Jersey Athletic Conference)

Forward: Jocelyn Novak, Sr., Lebanon Valley (Middle Atlantic Conference)

Forward: Caitlyn Jenkins, Jr., TCNJ (New Jersey Athletic Conference)

Forward: Becky Willert, Sr., Franklin & Marshall (Centennial Conference)

Goalkeeper: Shannon Syciarz, Sr., TCNJ (New Jersey Athletic Conference)

Second Team

Back: Shannon Hanratty, Sr., Salisbury (Capital Athletic Conference)

Back: Megan Scott, Sr., Neumann (Colonial States Athletic Conference)

Back: Melanie O'Connor, So., William Smith (Liberty League)

Back: Jenni Walker , Sr., Lebanon Valley (Middle Atlantic Conference)

Midfielder: Annie Kietzman, Jr., William Smith (Liberty League)

Midfielder: Maura Hennigan, Jr., Franklin & Marshall (Centennial Conference)

Midfielder: Madison Leone, So., Wesley (Capital Athletic Conference)

Forward: Alyssa Thren, Sr., Ursinus (Centennial Conference)

Forward: Kiersten Hamilton, Sr., William Smith (Liberty League)

Forward: Kelly Blackhurst, So., Skidmore (Liberty League)

Goalkeeper: Anna Cooke, Sr., Salisbury (Capital Athletic Conference)