Field Hockey Players Honored With All-Landmark
TOWSON, Md. – Moravian University's Ava Edwards and University of Scranton's Allie Benadon earned Landmark Offensive Player of the Year honors, as selected by the league's eight head coaches.
Annalee Smith of Susquehanna University was named Defensive Player of the Year while Scranton sophomore Katie Redding nabbed Rookie of the Year.
Susquehanna head coach Allison Fordyce and her staff took home Coaching Staff of the Year accolades.
Edwards ranked second in the conference in scoring with 17 goals and added nine assists four 40 points. Against conference opponents, the forward finished with five goals and tied for second in the league with four assists. The senior helped the Greyhounds to a historic season, appearing in the program's first-ever Landmark playoff match, as well as hosting its first playoff contest. The last time Moravian played in the postseason was in 1987. Edwards was part of a program that finished the season with school records of 14 wins, 60 goals, 42 assists, and 162 points while also posting the longest winning streak in school history at 10 matches and earning the program's first-ever NCAA Division III Regional Ranking. Edwards is the first Greyhound to be named Offensive Player of the Year.
Benadon earned her second All-Conference First Team selection after guiding the Royals to a 6-1 conference mark, and the program's second straight conference title. The senior finished the season with 14 goals, five assists for a total of 33 points. She was part of a program that defeated two National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) teams this fall – defeating then No. 18 Susquehanna 3-0 on September 25 and No. 18 Vassar, 1-0 on October 27, and received votes in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA National Coaches' Poll. Last Wednesday, she had the game-winning assist that advanced the Royals to the conference championship match. Benadon is the third Royal to be named Offensive Player of the Year.
Smith was part of a defensive unit that reached No. 17 in the NFHCA National Poll and allowed just 14 goals this season, eight of which came against conference opponents. SU posted 12 shutouts this season, and before Wednesday night's semifinal matchup, SU had a five-game shutout streak. The senior helped the River Hawks knock off then-No. 14 Christopher Newport, 1-0 and No. 5 Salisbury 2-1 earlier this season. She is the first defensive player from Susquehanna to be named Defensive Player of the Year.
Redding, who played in her first collegiate season this fall after missing out on her rookie campaign due to the pandemic in the fall of 2020, was an offensive threat for Scranton. The sophomore led the league in goals with 17, ranked second with 10 assists, and had league-leading 44 points. Her scoring highlights came against two nationally-ranked opponents this fall. Against then-No. 17 Susquehanna, Redding helped the Royals defeat the River Hawks 3-0 by notching her first hat-trick of the season. Against No. 18 Vassar College, she scored the lone goal in the 44th minute to defeat the Brewers. Last Wednesday, Redding assisted on the game-tying goal and played heroics in overtime, scoring the game-winner to help the Royals advance to the championship match.
Fordyce and her staff guided the River Hawks to a 16-4 (5-2 Landmark) record this fall. The 16 wins tied for the most regular-season victories in program history. SU entered the NFHCA National poll, climbing as high as No. 17, and knocked off two nationally-ranked teams in Christopher Newport and Salisbury.
The 2021 Landmark Field Hockey All-Conference Teams:
| First Team |
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Second Team |
Forward
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Forward |
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| Sydney Anderson |
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Moravian |
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Fr. |
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Saint James, N.Y. |
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Grace Hardy |
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Elizabethtown |
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Sr. |
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Arendtsville, Pa. |
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| Ava Edwards |
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Moravian |
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Sr. |
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Silver Spring, Md. |
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Emily Postlehwait |
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Goucher |
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Sr. |
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Herndon, Va. |
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| Katie Redding |
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Scranton |
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So. |
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Havertown, Pa. |
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Bridget Abraldes |
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Scranton |
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So. |
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Holbrook, N.Y. |
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Sam Banks |
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Susquehanna |
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Sr. |
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Dallas, Pa. |
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| Midfielder |
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Midfielder |
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| Mary Parker |
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Catholic |
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So. |
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Palmyra, Pa. |
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Anna Mostoller & |
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Elizabethtown |
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Gr. |
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Hummelstown, Pa. |
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| Emily Wells |
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Moravian |
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Jr. |
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Whitehall, Pa. |
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Maddie Call |
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Moravian |
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Jr. |
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Phillipsburg, N.J. |
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| Allie Benadon & |
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Scranton |
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Sr. |
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Hillsborough, N.J. |
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Elle Collins |
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Scranton |
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So. |
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Long Valley, N.J. |
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| Katie Koch |
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Susquehanna |
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Sr. |
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West Milton, Pa. |
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Shaelin de Wit |
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Scranton |
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Sr. |
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New Tripoli, Pa. |
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| Defender |
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Defender |
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| Grace Jung &* |
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Catholic |
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Sr. |
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Baltimore, Md. |
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Gracie Burford |
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Catholic |
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Jr. |
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Columbus, Ohio |
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| Onalee Long |
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Moravian |
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So. |
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Easton, Pa. |
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Chloe Smith |
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Elizabethtown |
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Jr. |
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Newport, Pa. |
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| Ashley Moore |
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Scranton |
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Sr. |
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Conshohocken, Pa. |
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Emily Brandt |
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Moravian |
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Sr. |
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Flemington, N.J. |
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| Annalee Smith & |
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Susquehanna |
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Sr. |
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Flanders, N.J. |
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Lauren Franco |
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Scranton |
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Fr. |
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West Chester, Pa. |
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Kari Schmidt |
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Susquehanna |
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Fr, |
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Downingtown, Pa. |
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| Goalkeeper |
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Goalkeeper |
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| Clare Maguire |
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Scranton |
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Jr. |
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Oreland, Pa. |
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Brooke Wilkinson |
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Moravian |
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Jr. |
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Dornsife, Pa. |
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& 2019 First Team All-Landmark
* 2018 First Team All-Landmark
^ 2017 First Team All-Landmark