Field Hockey team collects big honors in first year of Division I play

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - The Lady Eagle Field Hockey team (18-1, 8-0 Northeast Conference) brought home several awards and placed a league high six players on the all-conference team after their first year of Division I play at the Haven.

Defender Rebecca Steffen (Hawley, Pa./Wallenpaupack Area) was chosen as NEC Defensive Player of the Year.  Offensively for the team, she banked three goals and had two assists on the season. 

Head coach Pat Rudy was selected as NEC Coach of the Year.  Rudy led the team to the conference regular season title in its first year of division play.  The Haven also has an 11-game winning streak under Rudy, and is ranked third defensively in Division I competition

With defensive-player-of-the-year honors under her belt, Steffen will be joined by junior defender Courtney Hughes (Schwenksville, Pa./Souderton), who has helped hold the competition to only 14 points in 19 games.  Nikki Sweger (Dauphin, Pa./Central Dauphin East) leads the NEC in assists (11), and is tied for second in the conference in points (33).  Senior forward Kellie Kulina (Hummelstown, Pa./Lower Dauphin) is third in total points scored (29), and is tied for second in goals (12).  Kulina, the Haven record-holder for career assists (38), was also chosen to participate in the Division I North/South Senior All-Star Game.  Senior midfielder Katie Stewartz (Boyertown, Pa./Boyertown) brings her strength to the team with eight assists on the season.  Senior goalkeeper Melissa Stubblefield (Carmel, N.Y./Carmel) has recorded five shutouts for the season, and is ranked second among Division I goalkeepers, with a goals against average of 0.68.  She is also ranked eighth in the nation in save percentage (.818).  Sweger, Stewartz and Hughes have all collected NEC Player of the Week awards during the 2004 season.