Posted: Nov 09, 2010

Whitcomb, Hogenmiller and Barbato Earn NECC Honors

ATTLEBORO, Mass.-Bay Path junior defender Maeghan Whitcomb (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) was named 2010 NECC FirstTeam All-Conference, while both senior defender Amber Hogenmiller (Hinsdale, N.H.) and senior goalkeeper Kim Barbato (Saylorsburg, Penn.) were named to the 2010 NECC All-Tournament Team.

Bay Path earned the #4 seed in only their third year of competition of the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Championshisp. This would be their programs first post-season berth.

Whitcomb finished her junior campaign leading the conference in defensive saves (4), while Hogenmiller was third (1). Whitcomb finished the season with five defensive saves playing 7515 minutes. Hogenmiller finished the 2010 campaign with one assist, one save and played in 7508 minutes.

Barbato was second in NECC play in saves (55), second in saves per game (6.88), second in shut-outs (2), third in shut-outs per game (0.25), sixth in goals against average (3.62) and fifth in saves percentage (.655). Overall, Barbato played and started in all 13 games playing 910:00 minutes, with a 4.92 GAA, 135 saves, .678 save percentage, two shut-outs and three wins.

All five sponsored programs were represented on 2010 New England Collegiate Conference (NECC) Field Hockey All-Conference Team, it was announced today by Commissioner Del Malloy. In addition to the All-NECC honors, four separate major individual award winners and the team sportsmanship award were also voted upon and selected this week.

Becker College Hawk junior forward Victoria Sirchia (Goshen, Conn.) was named the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Player of the Year for the second straight year. Sirchia was previously named the 2008 NECC Rookie of the Year. The interior design major led the NECC in points (19), points per game (2.38) and was second in shots (36), shots per game (4.50), goals (8) and goals per game (1.00). Sirchia led her team in overall play with 11 goals, five assists , 27 points, 46 shots on goal and 66 shots.

Wheelock College senior Meredith Race (Marion, Mass.) was named the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Year. Race, a humanities major, led the NECC in save percentage (.826) , was second in goals against average (0.91), fifth in saves (19) and fourth in saves per game (3.17). Overall, she finished with 610:23 minutes played with 54 saves, .771 save percentage and a 1.83 goals against average.

Daniel Webster College Sierra Ackerman (Soldotna, Alaska) nabbed the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Rookie of the Year award for her first year. Ackerman, a sport management major, was the top freshman in points (13), goals (8) and assists(1). In game winning goals, Ackerman led all players at four in conference play. For the season, she tallied 13 goals, five assists for 31 points.

Wheelock College head coach Kyoungho Koh was named the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Coach of the Year. This is the second straight coach of the year honor for Koh. She led the Wildcats to a 7-9 overall record and a third-place regular-season finish at 5-3 in conference play. The Wildcats were also honored as the 2010 NECC Field Hockey Team Sportsmanship Award.

Voting for the All-NECC team and each of the major awards was conducted among all NECC field hockey coaches.

Joining Sirchia and Race on first team all-conference in the forward position was Daniel Webster junior Natalie Bates (Kingstown, R.I.), Wheelock sophomore Despina Savvoulides (Norwalk, Conn.) and senior Kara Widdison (Greenfield, Mass.); in the midfielder position Wheelock senior Michaela Ross (Mansfield, Mass.), Becker freshman Michelle Griczika (Barre, Mass.) and sophomore Brooke Cote (Fitchburg, Mass.); in the defender spot Wheelock junior Alanna Pihl (Franconia, N.H.), Bay Path junior Maeghan Whitcomb (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) and Becker sophomore Carly Barone (Attleboro, Mass.) ; along with Elms sophomore goalkeeper Alexandra Bonavita (Agawam, Mass.).

Honorable Mention included Becker senior keeper Nakita Gosselin (Springfield, Vt.), Daniel Webster junior goalie Amy Prince (Hope Valley, R.I.), Daniel Webster sophomore defender Samantha Cotoni (Groton, Mass.) and Becker senior defender Jessica Provencher (Berwick, Maine).

2010 NECC FIELD HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Victoria Sirchia, Becker, JR (Goshen, Conn.)
2010 NECC FIELD HOCKEY GOALIE OF THE YEAR: Meredith Race, Wheelock, SR (Marion, Mass.)
2010 NECC FIELD HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Sierra Ackerman, Daniel Webster, FR (Soldotna, Alaska)
2010 NECC FIELD HOCKEY COACH OF THE YEAR: Kyoungho Koh, Wheelock College
2010 NECC FIELD HOCKEY TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD: Wheelock College Wildcats

2010 ALL-NECC FIELD HOCKEY FIRST TEAM
Forwards
Victoria Sirchia, Becker, Junior
Natalie Bates, Daniel Webster, Junior
Despina Savvoulides, Wheelock, Sophomore
Kara Widdison, Wheelock, Senior
Midfielders
Brooke Cote, Becker, Sophomore
Michaela Ross, Wheelock, Senior
Michelle Griczika, Becker, Freshman
Defenders
Alanna Pihl, Wheelock, Junior
Maeghan Whitcomb, Bay Path, Junior
Carly Barone, Becker, Sophomore
Goalkeepers
Meredith Race, Wheelock, Senior
Alexandra Bonavita, Elms, Sophomore

2010 ALL-NECC FIELD HOCKEY HONORABLE MENTION
Goalkeepers
Nakita Gosselin, Becker, Senior
Amy Prince, Daniel Webster, Junior
Defenders
Samantha Cotoni, Daniel Webster, Sophomore
Jessica Provencher, Becker, Senior

2010 NECC Field Hockey All-Tournament Team
MVP: Natalie Bates (N. Kingstown, R.I.), Jr., MID
Daniel Webster: Samantha Cotoni (Groton, Mass.), So., DEF
Daniel Webster: Meaghan Farrelly (Jamestown, R.I), So., DEF
Daniel Webster: Sarah Steves (Granville, N.Y.), Sr., DEF
Becker: Nakita Gosselin (Springfield, Vt.), Jr., GK
Becker: Jessica Provencher (Berwick, Maine), Sr., DEF
Becker: Brooke Cote (Fitchburg, Mass.), So., FWD
Becker: Victoria Sirchia (Goshen, Conn.), Jr., MID
Wheelock: Dakota Ripley (Marathon, N.Y.), Fr., DEF
Wheelock: Meredith Race (Marion, Mass.) , Sr., GK
Bay Path: Amber Hogenmiller (Hinsdale, N.H.), Sr., DEF
Bay Path: Kim Barbato (Saylorsburg, Penn.), Sr., GK