Nov. 4, 2010
Complete List of All-Conference Honorees 
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. - Saint Joseph's Nicole McCreight was named the Atlantic 10 Conference Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year and Massachusetts' Makaela Potts repeated as the league's Defensive Player of the Year in voting conducted among the Conference's head coaches.
In that same vote the coaches tabbed Richmond's Chelsea Davies Rookie of the Year and Massachusetts' fourth-year head coach Justine Sowry as Coach of the Year. McCreight started in all 19 games for the Hawks this season and leads her team in points (37), goals (17) and game-winning goals (3). The flagship attacker of the Saint Joseph's squad, McCreight is responsible for nearly half her team's 39 goals this season. The senior is tied for second in the A-10 in both points and goals and boasts an impressive .719 shot-on-goal percentage. McCreight is the first Saint Joseph's field hockey student-athlete to earn the prestigious award.
Selected as Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, Potts anchors a defense that leads the league in goals against average (1.16) and has registered six shut outs, two of which came against nationally-ranked opponents. In addition to her aggressive defense, the Sydney, Australia native has netted five goals and two assists for a total of 12 points this season. This year's post-season accolade caps off what has been a highly decorated career for the four-time All-Conference and two-time All-America honoree.
Starting in 18 games, and appearing in all 19, Davies has played an invaluable role as a midfielder in Richmond's defense as well as in its offensive attack. Scoring three goals and tallying five assists, over half of the Madison, N.J. native's 11 points came during conference competition.
McCreight and Potts are joined on the All-Conference first team by Lock Haven's Amy Hordendorf and Tonia-Marie James, Massachusetts' Jaime Bourazeris, Katie Kelly and Alesha Widdall, Richmond's Hannah Hess and Dani Pycroft and Temple's Katie Briglia and Bridget Settles.
Joining Davies on the second team are Beth Carey, Rebecca Chylack, Neelam Kumar and Emma Ruth of La Salle, Lock Haven's Najia Hasan and Kristi Shepps, Massachusetts' Thando Zono, Richmond's Katelin Peterson, Temple's Becca Keener and West Chester's Brynn Adams.
The All-Rookie team is made up of Davies, La Salle’s Mariel Papa, Lock Haven’s Kelly Harsh and Abbey Hordendorf, Massachusetts’ Lindsay Bowman, Hannah Prince and Alexa Sikalis, Richmond’s Anna Zarkoski, Laken Gehris of Saint Louis, Temple’s Mandi Shearer and West Chester’s Kelsi Lykens.
Massachusetts' goalkeeper Alesha Widdall has been selected as the 2010 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year for best exemplifying the true meaning of "student-athlete." The junior captain has played every minute of the Minutewomen's 19 games this season, going 13-6 with six shutouts including two against then-nationally ranked Connecticut (No. 4) and Syracuse (No.8). A member of the 2009 Academic All-Conference team, Widdall has maintained a cumulative GPA of 3.592 as an Anthropology major.
Joining Widdall on the All-Academic team are La Salle's Rebecca Chylack and Emma Ruth, Lock Haven's Amy Hordendorf and Talitha Jay, Massachusetts' Katie Kelly, Richmond's Katelin Peterson, Saint Joseph's Hannah Rogers and Jen Wrublesky, Saint Louis' Alex LaBarge and West Chester's Nicole Fiorilla.
Wrapping up her fourth season at the helm of the Minutewomen's field hockey program, Sowry has led her team to two Atlantic 10 Championships and made two NCAA Tournament appearances (2007 and 2008). Sowry has a 56-29 (.659) overall record in those four seasons. Her success during her short time with the program led to her being named A-10 Coach of the Year in 2007, 2008 and now again in 2010, earning the accolade three of her four seasons as head coach.
The 2010 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship begins at 11am Friday, November 5, at Temple University's Geasey Field. It will be streamed live, free of charge, on atlantic10.com