Blue Field Hockey Headlines NEWMAC Post-Season Awards

WELLESLEY, Mass. -- The Wellesley College field hockey team took home several post-season awards, announced by the New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) on Monday. The Blue placed five on the NEWMAC All-Conference team, while taking home both Player of the Year and Coach of the Year honors.

Junior Nathalie Gruet was named the NEWMAC Player of the Year and a first-team All-Conference selection. Joining Gruet on the All-Conference team were senior Brit Mscisz, junior Meghan Peterson, and sophomores Hannah Flesch and Anissa Sridhar. In addition to the team awards, Wellesley head coach Julia King was honored with the league's Coach of the Year award.

Gruet, an Acton, Massachusetts, native, earned the program's first Player of the Year honor since Marret Arfsten received the award in 2002. A standout two-way center-midfielder for the Blue, she's recorded a team-leading 39 points this season. Gruet has racked up 17 goals and five assists, including seven total game-winning scores. She finished the NEWMAC regular season third in both goals and points, and is also a key player on Wellesley's defense. This is the third time that Gruet has earned first-team All-Conference honors, and she was also named the league's Rookie of the Year in 2011. 

Peterson, hailing from Glastonbury, Connecticut, makes her first appearance on the NEWMAC All-Conference team, with a first-team selection. An outstanding center back for the Blue, she is relied on to mark the opposing team's top offensive threats. Peterson captains a Blue defense that allowed a league-best goals against average of 0.74, and also contributes on the offensive end. This season, she's recorded 13 points on one goal and 11 assists. 

Mscisz, from Topsfield, Massachusetts, also makes her first appearance on the All-NEWMAC team, earning a first-team selection. Wellesley's starting goalkeeper, she finished the regular season with a .812 save percentage and a goals against average of 0.74 in NEWMAC games. Mscisz has recorded five total shutouts this season, including a 1-0 overtime win in the NEWMAC title game against Mount Holyoke. She was named the NEWMAC Tournament's Most Outstanding Player for her efforts this past weekend.

Flesch, a native of Rockville, Maryland, earns her second-straight All-Conference second team honor. The 2012 NEWMAC Rookie of the Year, her play on the right wing was key to Wellesley's balanced offensive attack. Flesch has recorded a team-best 13 assists this season, adding eight goals for 29 total points. She finished second in the conference in assists against NEWMAC teams and 10th in points. 

Sridhar, hailing from Idlerton, Ontario, makes her first appearance on the All-NEWMAC list with a second team honor. A speedy two-way player for Wellesley, she has racked up 23 total points on 11 goals and one assist. Sridhar finished the NEWMAC regular season with seven goals, ranking her sixth in the conference. In the NEWMAC Championship game, her overtime deflection handed the Blue the NEWMAC title. 

King earns her first NEWMAC Coach of the Year honor, leading the Blue to the NEWMAC Tournament and Regular Season Championships. In her third year with the program, she's compiled an overall record of 39-20, including a 17-3 record this season. King's team will be making the program's first NCAA Tournament appearance in seven years.

Wellesley field hockey received a bye in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and will head to Salisbury, Maryland this weekend. The Blue will take on the winner of the Ursinus/Wilkes game, and will play on Saturday at 2:00pm. 

Nathalie Gruet	Meghan Peterson	Brit Mscisz
Player of the Year, 1st Team All-NEWMAC	1st Team All-NEWMAC	1st Team All-NEWMAC
Hannah Flesch	Anissa Sridhar	Julia King
2nd Team All-NEWMAC	2nd Team All-NEWMAC	Coach of the Year

2013 Field Hockey All-Conference Team and Award Winners

NEWMAC Athlete of the Year: 
Nathalie Gruet, Wellesley
 
NEWMAC Rookie of the Year: 
Liz Dicesare, Mount Holyoke
 
NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player:
Brit Mscisz, Wellesley
 
NEWMAC Coach of the Year: 
Julia King, Wellesley
 
NEWMAC Sportsmanship Award: 
MIT
 
First Team All-Conference
Morgan Lockwood, Babson
Michelle Teplensky, MIT
Maddy Wharton, MIT
Diana Banmann, Mount Holyoke
Kirsten Kilburn, Mount Holyoke
Allie Stein, Smith
Kelly Gallo, Springfield
MK Murray, Springfield
Nathalie Gruet, Wellesley
Brit Mscisz, Wellesley
Meghan Peterson, Wellesley 

Second Team All-Conference
Kayla Florence, Babson
Caroline Malone, Babson
Julia Pochini, Babson
Talia Fish, Clark
Lauren Mackey, Clark
Erin Kenney, MIT
Liz Dicesare, Mount Holyoke
Sarah Laquerre, Mount Holyoke 
Olivia Cabral, Springfield
Hannah Flesch, Wellesley
Anissa Sridhar, Wellesley