PAC alums garner NFHCA first team honors
Pioneer Athletic Conference alums could be found all over the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Region teams upon their announcement on Nov. 27.
Penn senior Alexa Hoover (Methacton), Connecticut senior Casey Umstead (Upper Perkiomen) and Duke senior Alyssa Chillano (Spring-Ford) and sophomore Sammi Steele (Methacton) were named NFHCA All-Region first team in their respective regions. North Carolina senior Gab Major (Spring-Ford) was named to the South Region second team and Michigan State senior Simone Vagnoni (Spring-Ford) was named to the West Region second team.
Hoover capped an outstanding season at Penn as the all-time leader in goals (68) and points (163) and ranks fourth all-time in the Ivy League in both categories as well. This season, Hoover led Penn with 12 goals and eight assists for 32 points and started all 67 games of her college career.
Umstead provided yet another scoring threat on the UConn offense with 15 goals and 16 assists for 46 points. A force on both sides of the ball, Umstead helped UConn turn in a NCAA-leading 3.57 scoring margin. The twotime All-Mideast Regional First Team selection finished her career fifth all-time in assists (40) and tied for sixth in career points (160) and goals (60).
An all-region selection for the
third time in her career and a first team honoree for the second consecutive season, Chillano totaled eight goals, four assists and three defensive saves during her senior campaign. The Phoenixville native notched two multiple-goal games and was part of a back line that ranked among the best in the country all season in goals against average (1.28). She garnered first team All-ACC recognition to go along with ACC All-Tournament Team laurels and was tabbed the MVP of the NFHCA Division I Senior Game.
Steele collected All-South Region first team accolades for the second consecutive season following another successful campaign as the Blue Devils’ starting goalkeeper. The Eagleville native wrapped up the season ranked eighth nationally in goals against average (1.28) and was second in the ACC in save percentage (.725). MARK FORREST (THE HILL SCHOOL) » The junior was named the Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year and was selected to the All-ECAC first team last Wednesday after a standout season with the Lehigh men’s soccer team. Earlier, the 6-foot-3 forward was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year and was a first-team selection. Forrest, from Douglassville, led the ECAC and the league in goals (15), points (38) and penalty kick goals (four). He was third in the ECAC in game-winners with three and fourth in assists with eight. The Mountain Hawks finished the season 11-7-1 overall and 5-3-1 in league play. JIMMY FRATANTONI (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » Fratantoni has competed in just four bouts in the early going this season with the Muhlenberg wrestling team but when the junior is on the mat, he’s been dominating.
Fratantoni (Owen J. Roberts) opened his season by going 2-0 at 174 pounds at the Roger Williams Invitational on Nov. 11 in Bristol, R.I. He forfeited his next match to a teammate.
On Nov. 18, at the Mules’ Scotty Wood Duals in Allentown, he wrestled in two of the four matches and won both of them as Muhlenberg defeated Washington & Jefferson 26-21 and Camden County 27-20. His performance in the latter match earned him the tourney’s Most Valuable Wrestler Award. The Mules were trailing 14-12 but he posted a 21-6 technical fall victory to provide the team the lead.
“Jimmy works extremely hard and comes into the room with vigor and excitement on a daily basis,” coach Jason McLean said. “He is extremely talented and now his confidence is starting to be on the same level. He wants to get better every day and is willing to do extra to get there. He’s done a great job trusting the coaches as well. There were days when he’s been dying to compete but we have held him back.”
Fratantoni is 11-2 in dual meets and 22-11 overall in his career. SYDNEY WAGNER (SPRINGFORD) » The 5-foot-6 freshman guard has played in all seven games with four starts for the Stetson women’s basketball team. She’s averaging 8.6 points with 15 rebounds, seven assists and five steals. Wagner had a career-game in an 85-71 victory over Florida of the Southeast Conference on Nov. 22 when she scored a team-high 20 points and was 8-for-10 from the field and 4-for-4 from outside the arc. The Hatters are 3-4 and one of the losses came at the hands of No. 2-ranked Texas. TAYLOR DAVIS (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » The Indiana women’s swim team is 5-0 in dual meets thus far this season and Davis has been a key performer for the squad. In the Crimson Hawk Fall Invitational on Nov. 11 in Indiana, she finished first in the 200 freestyle (2:03.23) and second in the 200 butterfly (2:18.25). Davis also swam legs on the winning 200 medley relay (1:53.72) and the 400 freestyle relay (3:50.73) as Indiana defeated West Virginia Tech (152-109) and Chatham (214-28). MARIANA BERNAL (PERKIOMEN VALLEY) » The junior is the top breaststroke swimmer on the Millersville women’s team. She swam that stroke to help the Marauders capture the 400 medley relay in victories over Lock Haven (16386) and Cedar Crest (1i947) on Nov. 11 in Millersville. Bernal finished 13th in the 100 breaststroke at the Franklin & Marshall Invitational, Nov. 17-19 in Lancaster, with a seasonbest time of 1:09.43. She has the team’s best time in the 50 breast (33.66) and 200 breast (2:38.59) and the third best time in the 200 IM (2:21.08). RICH DUNHAM (POPE JOHN PAUL II) » The sophomore is a versatile performer and he showed that versatility to help the 3-1 Gwynedd Mercy men’s basketball team score an 84-77 Colonial States Athletic Conference victory over Marywood last Wednesday in Scranton. The 6-foot-1 guard had eight points, six rebounds, six assists, two steals and a blocked shot in the game. On the season, he’s averaging 9.8 points and 7.3 rebounds with a team-high 20 assists and three steals. He was a key performer off the bench for the Griffins as a freshman. ALLY DROHOSKY (OWEN J. ROBERTS) » The junior is a key performer in the breaststroke and with the medley relays teams for the Case Western women’s swim team. In a 199-70 victory over Oberlin on Nov. 4 in Cleveland, Oh, Drohosky swam a leg on the winning 200 medley relay in 1:51.63) and finished first in the 100 breaststroke with a teambest time of 1:08.64. And, in a 133.5-105.5 triumph over the College of Wooster in Wooster, Oh she was a member of the 400 medley relay that finished first with a time of 4:07.95. STEPHANIE PETERY (POPE JOHN PAUL II) » After seeing limited action as a freshman, the 5-foot-8 sophomore forward has started all six games for the Mercyhurst women’s basketball team. She had a careerhigh 11 points in a 65-61 PSAC victory over Millersville on Nov. 18 and came back with 11 points in a 6858 non-league loss to Ursuline on Nov. 19, both games in Erie. Petery is averaging 6.5 points and 2.5 rebounds with nine assists and three steals for the Lakers who are 2-4 after a 74-50 nonleague loss to Walsh on Nov. 27 in Canton, Oh. COLTEN HABECKER (THE HILL SCHOOL) » The redshirt junior defender played in all 21 games with two starts for the Southern Methodist men’s soccer team which turned back Central Florida 2-1 to capture the American Athletic Conference title and then defeated Central Arkansas (2-0) and Georgetown (2-1 in two overtimes) before losing 2-0 to No. 2 seed North Carolina in the third round of the NCAA Division I Tournament on Nov. 25 in Cary, N.C. Habecker, from Douglassville, had a goal and an assist and helped the 17-3-1 Mustangs hold foes to 13 goals with 10 shutouts. MARK DUKES (POTTSGROVE) » The 5-foot-11, 195 pound junior running back was the fourth leading rusher on the West Chester football team, the Golden Rams finishing 9-4 after losing 44-10 to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA Division II Championship on Nov. 25 in Indiana. Dukes carried the ball 45 times for 367 yards (8.2 yards per carry) with three touchdowns including a career-best 57 yard score in a season-opening 51-9 victory over Bentley on Aug. 31 in West Chester. He also caught nine passes for 137 yards.