Tuesday, November 18, 2003
Written by Andrew Silver

NAPOLITANO NAMED SECOND TEAM FOR NEW ENGLAND WEST

MEDFORD -- The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) has named sophomore midfielder Lea Napolitano (Waltham, MA/Waltham) of the Tufts University Field Hockey team to the Second Team for the New England West Region for 2003.  Leading Tufts in scoring as a sophomore, Napolitano certainly made her mark.

Napolitano led the Jumbos in goals with six and points with 16 and tied for the team-lead in assists with four.  The combination of scoring goals and feeding her teammates allowed her to finish 16th in the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) in points.  She scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Bates on September 28 that started a stretch during which she scored four of the team's five goals in three games. She also had a goal in two assists in a 4-1 victory over Wheaton on October 23. In all, she figured in half the team's goals, scoring or assisting 10 of 20. She was named to the All-NESCAC Second Team last week.

"Lea is a terrific athlete and is always working hard," Head Coach Carol Rappoli said. "It doesn't matter if we're ahead 4-1 or behind 6-0, she's working hard on the field."

At 5-10 overall and 3-6 in the NESCAC, Tufts Field Hockey showed improvement. They qualified for the NESCAC playoffs for the first time since the 2000 season.  Tufts was led mainly by underclassmen this season, and with Napolitano and most of her teammates returning in 2004, the future looks bright for the Jumbo field hockey squad.

Napolitano's first season in 2002 included fourteen appearances with one goal and one assist.

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