Three members of the Ursinus College field hockey team – senior midfielder Megan Keenan (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson), junior defender Aliki Torrence (Reading, Pa./Exeter), and junior forward Amber Steigerwalt (Warrington, Pa./Central Bucks South) – were named Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-Americans, the organization announced today. Keenan and Torrence were selected to the first team, marking the first time that two Bears were honored as first-team All-Americans in the same season since 2009, while Steigerwalt collected a second-team nod.
Keenan is a first-team All-American for the third consecutive season, a well-deserved laurel after leading the Centennial Conference in goals (21), assists (20), and points (62) en route to earning conference Player of the Year and Tournament MVP honors as the Bears corralled their 11th league championship in the last 12 years and reached the NCAA semifinals for the first time since 2010. She finished the 2015 campaign third in Division III in assists per game (0.91) and 10th in points per game (2.64).
One of the top performers in CC history, Keenan's final season in Collegeville was accompanied by a litany of historic accomplishments. She became the first player ever to earn four straight first-team all-conference honors, as well as the first to be selected South Region Player of the Year in back-to-back years; she also made the all-region first team for the fourth straight year.
The Bears' first three-time first-team All-American since Kaitlyn Sutherland (2006-08), Keenan is the program's all-time leader in shots (519). She stands second in school history in goals (76), assists (52), and points (204), all of which rank within the top five in the CC record books. Keenan joins Sutherland and Alyssa Thren (2009-11) as three-time All-Americans in Ursinus history.
Torrence moved up to the first team after a third-team nod on the All-America squad a year ago. The leader of a stout defensive unit that conceded only a goal per contest (good for 12th in Division III) and produced 13 shutouts, Torrence started all 23 games on the Bears' back line. She recorded a defensive save, the eighth of her career, and even netted her first collegiate goal in a 10-0 rout of Bryn Mawr. Torrence was a first-team all-region selection for the second straight season; she was a second-teamer in 2013.
Steigerwalt ascended to the top of the conference ranks with a breakout, 52-point campaign that resulted in first-team all-CC and all-region honors. She matched Keenan with 21 goals to tie for the league lead and place 15th in the nation, also adding nine assists (third in the conference). Steigerwalt recorded six game-winning goals in 2015, including the opening tally in Ursinus' NCAA Tournament victories over Stevens and Rochester, and went off for three goals and an assist in the CC semifinals against Rochester before assisting on the game's lone tally as the Bears concocted a 1-0 triumph at Franklin & Marshall in the title game.
Franklin & Marshall field hockey members Mary Kate Olson and Maria Guarisco were named to the 2015 Longstretch/NFHCA Division III All-America and Synapse Sports All-America teams.
Olson was placed on the NFHCA second team and the Synapse Sports first team, while Guarisco garnered NFHCA first team accolades and Synapse Sports second team honors. For the third consecutive season, Olson was named to the lists, becoming only the fourth player in program history to be a three-time All-American. Guarisco also garners the distinction for the second season in a row, as the duo marked the 29th and 30th time a Diplomat was named an All-American.
Olson (Woodbine, Md. / Glenelg) continues to stockpile awards after also earning a spot on the All-Region First Team for the third straight season and garnering first team All-CC accolades for the third consecutive year earlier in the postseason. The senior defender led a defensive unit that ranked seventh in the nation in shutouts per game (52 percent) and 10th in goals against average (0.90). Olson also contributed on the offensive end, tallying two goals and two assists.
Guarisco (Cranford, N.J. / Cranford) also continues to be honored for her outstanding senior campaign. In addition to her All-America honors, she earned All-Region accolades for the third time in her career and made her way onto the first team for the second straight season earlier in November. The senior midfielder was also a unanimous All-Centennial Conference (CC) First Team selection for the second consecutive year after leading the Diplomats and placing fourth in the conference in points (39), sixth in goals (15) and third in assists (9).
She had five game-winning markers on the season, registered a point in all but five contests and finished her career with the second-most points in program history (125), fifth-most goals (47) and second-most assists (31).
Dickinson junior defender Merritt Davis (Baltimore, Md./Garrison Forest) was named to the 2015 Longstreth/NFHCA All-America Field Hockey Team, earning Third-team honors. Davis is the first player in program history to be named an All-American. Davis was also named to another All-America team, earning Third-team recognition on the Synapse Sports Division III All-America Field Hockey Team.
Davis earned her second straight First-team selection to the All-Region team, following another outstanding year, anchoring the Red Devil defense. She was also a First-team All-Centennial Conference selection in each of the past two seasons. A dedicated player and leader, both on and off the field, Davis has played a key role in not only her own development but the continued improvement of the entire team.
Head Coach Caitlin Dallmeyer was also very excited about the announcement of the program's first All-American. "Merritt is a phenomenal example of hard work and dedication to the sport. She is extremely driven and very deserving of this honor. I could not be more proud of what she has been able to accomplish so far in her time at Dickinson," said Dallmeyer.
Davis proved to be as equally dangerous on both ends of the field, providing a tenacious defensive effort while breaking the school record with a season-best 12 assists on the year. Davis also broke the school record for assists in a game, handing out four in a win at Bryn Mawr College.
Davis ranked second in the conference in assists, finishing behind only Player of the Year, Megan Keenan of Ursinus. She started all 19 games for the Red Devils and raised her career assist total to 19, tying her for second all-time, after just three seasons. Davis has proved to be a scoring threat as well, delivering a powerful stroke on penalty corners. She found the back of the cage four times, raising her career mark to nine.