Blue Field Hockey Earns Multiple NEWMAC Post-Season Accolades; Gruet Named Player of the Year

CORRECTION - Junior Hannah Flesch was named to the NEWMAC All-Conference First Team, a prior release had her listed as a member of the All-Conference second team. 

WELLESLEY, Mass. — The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) announced the 2014 field hockey All-Conference team and postseason award winners on Wednesday. Conference regular season and tournament champion, Wellesley College, led the way with five selections, including the NEWMAC Athlete of the Year, Nathalie Gruet. Wellesley head coach Julia King was also named the NEWMAC Coach of the Year.

Gruet, a senior co-captain from Acton, Mass., was joined on the All-Conference first team by senior co-captain Meghan Peterson (Glastonbury, Conn.) and juniors Anissa Sridhar (Idlerton, Ontario) and Hannah Flesch (Rockville, Md.). The Blue also earned a selections to the All-Conference second team, as senior Lallie Lukens (Dakar, Senegal) earned recognition.

Gruet finished the season with a conference leading 50 points on 20 goals and 10 assists, earning All-Conference first team honors for the fourth consecutive seasons. She is the first Wellesley field hockey athlete to earn Player of the Year honors in back-to-back years and the first NEWMAC athlete to win the honor in consecutive seasons since Springfield's Jane Kelleher took home the award in 2007 and 2008. 

Peterson, the NEWMAC Championship Tournament Most Outstanding Player, earned her second consecutive All-Conference first-team selection after helping the Blue to their second consecutive conference title. The heart of Wellesley's NEWMAC leading defense, she helped the Blue to secure nine shutouts this season and a 0.64 goals against average. She finished the year with 13 points on four goals and five assists. 

Sridhar was among the conference leaders in assists with 10, including an assist on the game-winning goal in the NEWMAC Championship Final. She added 11 goals, including two game-winners to finish with 32 points. This is Sridhar's first All-Conference first team selection; she earned second team honors last season. 

The Blue's second leading-scorer with 18 goals and seven assists on the season, Flesch earned her second consecutive selection to the All-Conference team and her first selection to the first team. Flesch was among the leading scorers in the NEWMAC as her season total of 43 points trailed only Gruet and Mount Holyoke's Kirsten Kilburn (44 points).

Lukens grabbed her first All-Conference selection, earning a spot on the second team. A strong two-way player, Lukens consistently made life difficult for NEWMAC defenders while also serving as a reliable defender for Wellesley. The Blue senior scored 9 points on a pair of goals and five assists this season. 

Wellesley head coach Julia King earned her second consecutive Coach of the Year award. She has guided the Blue to an 18-2 record — tying the program record for wins that was set last season. With Wellesley, King has compiled compiled a 58-23 record over four seasons, qualifying for the NEWMAC tournament each year and winning the last two NEWMAC Championships. 

Wellesley will face the winner of Juniata and Gwynedd-Mercy in the second round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship on Saturday, November 15. The Blue will be making their second consecutive appearance after advancing to the Elite Eight last season. 

2014 Field Hockey All-Conference Team and Award Winners

NEWMAC Athlete of the Year:
Nathalie Gruet, Wellesley 

NEWMAC Rookie of the Year:
Emily Penn, MIT

NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player:
Meghan Peterson, Wellesley

NEWMAC Coach of the Year:
Julia King, Wellesley

NEWMAC Sportsmanship Award:
Clark

First Team All-Conference
Caroline Malone, Babson
Elizabeth Dethy, MIT
Emily Penn, MIT
Liz DiCesare, Mount Holyoke
Kirsten Kilburn, Mount Holyoke
Sarah Laquerre, Mount Holyoke
Olivia Cabral, Springfield
Linnea Quist, Springfield
Hannah Flesch, Wellesley
Nathalie Gruet, Wellesley
Meghan Peterson, Wellesley
Anissa Sridhar, Wellesley 

Second Team All-Conference
Kelsi McDougle, Babson
Kiah Murphy, Clark
Caitlin Mackey, MIT
Ruvimbo Mushavi, Mount Holyoke
Jenny Estes, Smith
Katie Gill, Springfield
Lallie Lukens, Wellesley
Madison Wolters, Wheaton
Abby Cervelloni, WPI
Lauren Puishys, WPI