Wednesday, November 9, 2005
MEDFORD – The first All-New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) team of the 2005 fall season was announced today and two members of the Tufts field hockey team were recognized. Senior co-captain Lea Napolitano (Waltham, MA/Waltham) and junior Stacey Watkins (St. Louis, MO/John Burroughs) were voted on to the Second Team by the conference's coaches.
Napolitano earned All-NESCAC honors for the third straight season. She was a First Team pick last year and a Second Teamer in 2003. This year she scored three goals with three assists for nine points in 15 starts. She scored game-winners against Babson, currently the #15 team in the country, on October 6 and against Trinity on October 15. More tellingly, she is a leader on and off the field who has started every game of her career at Tufts and is a two-time team MVP.
"Lea has played multiple positions on the field and is willing to do anything asked of her," Coach Tina McDavitt said. "Her teammates and the overall success of the team are her top priorities and this is evident day in and day out. Lea is focused on the task at hand and puts herself and her teammates in a position to be successful."
Watkins moved from sweeper to center back this season and continued to excel on defense while becoming an offensive threat. The primary striker on corners, she scored three goals with four assists for 10 points, with all but one assist coming in league play. She scored the game-winner versus Bates College with two minutes left in the game. The team's 1.59 goals against average is ranked fourth in the league and their six shutouts were second-most.
"She remains composed and disciplined under any circumstances," McDavitt said. "During tough games she will rise to the occasion and push herself as well as her teammates to take their game to the next level. Throughout the year I could count on her to shut down the leading scorer for the opposing team while also directing her teammates on the field."
Tufts finished the year with an 8-7 overall record and as the fifth-place team in NESCAC.
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