Umstead, UConn capture NCAA title
The University of Connecticut field hockey team captured the national championship and senior Casey Umstead was a key performer for the Huskies.
Umstead (Upper Perkiomen) started all 23 games including a 2-1 shootout victory over North Carolina in the semif inals on Nov. 17 and a 2-1 triumph over Maryland in the championship game on Nov. 19, both in Louisville, Ky. She was named to the All-Tournament team as the Huskies finished 23-0 and were ranked No. 1 by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
The 5-foot-5 standout was named Big East Conference Defender of the Year and earned her second straight All-Big East selection (she was a second team pick as a sophomore). As a junior, she earned NFHCA All-Mideast Region first team and was a third team NFHCA All-American selection. Those announcements are still to come for this season.
Umstead can put her name in the scorebook, too. She was second on the team in scoring with 15 goals and 16 assists for 46 points with four game-winners. She started every game for the Huskies the past three seasons (70) and finished with 79 starts in 93 games for her career. And, she totaled 60 goals and 40 assists for 120 points during that time, a number of the goals coming on penalty strokes. She was a freshman member of the 2014 national championship team, the Huskies losing in the semifinals the past two seasons.
“The seniors worked tirelessly to create a Golden Era of UConn field hockey,” coach Nancy Stevens said. “Casey played with two national title teams and in four consecutive Final Fours. More importantly, she is a superb student and has applied to graduate school to become a physician’s assistant.”
North Carolina’s semifinal loss was the final game for senior Gab Major (Spring-Ford) who led the Tar Heels with 30 points with eight goals and a team-high 14 assists. She had an assist on the only score against the Huskies. Major played 93 games with 66 starts and finished with 113 points on 40 goals and 33 assists with seven game-winners. ALYSSA CHILLANO (SPRINGFORD), SAMMI STEELE (METHACTON) » Senior Chillano and redshirt sophomore Steele had standout seasons with the Duke field hockey team which f inished 17-4 after just missing out on the Final Four with a 3-2 loss to Maryland in the quarterfinals. Chillano was named to the Atlantic Coast Conference first team after scoring eight goals with four assists for 20 points with four game-winners. She also had three defensive saves. Steele gave up 29 goals (1.33 goals against average) with 74 saves and seven shutouts. She was named to the ACC second team.
“Alyssa and Sammi together were a great defensive duo in the backfield,” coach Pam Bustin said. “Each provided a strength to help the other achieve more. Alyssa communicated to help the defense and Sammi deferred to her and trusted her experience.
Much of Duke’s deep defensive strength over the past two years was based on the play of Alyssa Chillano and Sammi Steele.” ALLYMOONEY (OWENJ. ROB
ERTS) » The 5-foot-5 junior goalkeeper was named to the All-Tournament team after leading the Shippensburg field hockey teamto its second straight NCAA Division II Championship with a 4-1 victory over LIU-Post in the title game on Nov. 19 in Louisville, Ky. Mooney had six saves in the game. She started all 21 games for the Raiders who finished 17-4. She gave up 38 goals (1.45 goals against average) and had 96 saves (.744 save
percentage). Shippensburg defeated Stonehill 6-1 and East Stroudsburg 2-1 in the semifinals to earn its spot in the title game. LAUREN SCHWEPPE(OWENJ.
ROBERTS) » The senior defender was named the Most Outstanding Player after she led the Middlebury field hockey team to a 4-0 victory over Messiah to capture the NCAA Division III Championship on Nov. 18 in Louisville, Ky. Schweppe started all 22 games for the 20-2 Panthers and had five goals and seven assists for 17 points with a game-winner. She also had a defensive save, helping the back side limit foes to 22 goals with nine shutouts. Messiah entered the title game as the No. 1 seed and the defending champion, the Falcons seeing their 44-game
win streak snapped. And, it was the first time the team has been shut out in 58 games. DILLON ALDERFER (METH
ACTON) » The 6-foot-3, 209-pound senior wide receiver wrapped up his career with the 10-1 Franklin & Marshall football team by scoring on a career-high 84 yard reception which was the final score in the Diplomats’ 21-7 victory over Widener in the Centennial-MAC Bowl Series on Nov. 18. Alderfer, named a Centennial honorable mention, finished with 53 receptions good for 758 yards and eight touchdowns. He bettered the 100 yard mark in receptions the last three games and had 18 catches for 343 yards and four scores. VICTORIA CRUCIANI (POPE JOHN PAUL II) » The 6-foot-1 senior middle blocker will be a key performer for the West Chester women’s volleyball team which earned an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Tournament and will open action in the Atlantic Region on Thursday in Wheeling, W.Va. Cruciani, who was named to the PSAC third team, has a team-high 97 total blocks, including 24 solos, and 219 kills. She totaled 279.5 points and has a solid .332 attack percentage. The Golden Rams will take a 24-8 record into the NCAAs. KEVIN BASCH (POTTS
GROVE) » The sophomore was named Colonial Athletic Association Swimmer of the Week (Nov. 15) after a big performance with the Delawaremen’s teamwhen he captured the 500 free-
style (4:39.83) and the 1,000 freestyle (9:35.72) in losses to Rider and La Salle on Nov. 11. He also took both events against Georgetown to open the season. At the Franklin & Marshall Invitational (Nov 17-19), he captured the 500 with a meet record time of 4:32.48. That’s the fourth fastest time in Blue Hen history. ALEC SCHNEIDER (OWEN
J. ROBERTS) » The sophomore is off to a great start as a freestyle sprinter for the Elizabethtown men’s swim team. He captured the 50 free (22.74), the 100 free (50:36) and swam the anchor leg on the winning 200 medley relay (1:45.00) in a 153-47 victory over Lebanon Valley on Nov. 20. He’s 4-1 in the 50 thus far and he won that event in a 135121 loss to Drew on Nov. 18.
He also swam anchor on the winning 200 free relay (1:33.23) and was a member of the 200 medley relay which finished second (1:41.46). LUCAS MILLER (BOYER
TOWN) » The Kutztown sophomore kicked off the wrestling season at the East Stroudsburg Open on Nov. 12. He won his first match at 133 pounds 7-1 but dropped his second match 10-2. Then he exited the tourney with a medical forfeit in the first consolation match. Miller, who was 15-9 as a true freshman, came back to score an 8-2 victory but the Golden Bears were beaten 24-10 by Pitt-Johnstown on Nov. 17. Redshirt freshman Tommy Killoran (Boyertown) competed at 285 pounds and was 0-2 at East Stroudsburg.