BOSTON, Mass. - The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) Field Hockey All-Conference Teams have been announced and Mount Holyoke College saw three student-athletes recognized. Earning First Team recognition was Sarah LaQuerre and Ruvimbo Mushavi, while Liz DiCesare was a Second Team selection.
Earning First Team honors for the second straight season was LaQuerre, a senior midfielder and captain from Old Orchard Beach Maine, who has posted five goals and nine assists for 19 points as a starter in all 21 games this season. She has notched 55 shots, including 37 on goal and ranks second on the squad in assists. This is the second straight First Team honor for LaQuerre.
A graduate of Cheverus High School, LaQuerre has been a critical member of the Lyons defense as well. Her key efforts have helped Mount Holyoke to the 13th-best save percentage in the nation (.840). Among her top performances this season came in a 9-2 win at Castleton (9/12), where she tallied a goal and notched four assists.
Mushavi, a junior defender and captain who hails from Harare, Zimbabwe, earned her spot on the First Team after serving as a constant and powerful defensive presence for a Lyons squad that has recorded a NEWMAC-best 157 saves on the season, as well as seven defensive saves, which also leads the conference. MHC also ranks 36th in all of Division III in goals against average (1.36).
Additionally, the former Arundel School standout played a critical role in the Lyons success during the NEWMAC Tournament, leading a backline that surrendered just two goals. Mushavi also scored the game-winning goal in MHC's 1-0 double-overtime win against Babson in the Semifinals on Saturday. Last season, she was an All-Conference Second Team selection.
Rounding out the honorees was DiCesare, a junior goalie out of Westford, Mass. One of the nation's top keepers, she owns a 14-6 record and currently ranks sixth in Division III in save percentage with .853 clip and is also 32nd in goals against average with a 1.23. DiCesare has made a NEWMAC-best 139 saves on the season over 1361:32 minutes of action. Among the NEWMAC leaders, DiCesare ranks first in shutouts (7) and is third in wins and goals against average.
DiCesare is coming off an incredible week, which saw her earn NEWMAC Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors after stopping a season-high 19 shots in the shootout win over Wellesley. Two of her 19 saves also came on penalty strokes during regulation and the first overtime. All told, DiCesare made 45 saves in three games, including 15 against MIT and 11 against Babson.
This is the third year-end honor for the former Bishop Guertin High School standout, who was a First Team selection in 2014. She earned Second Team honors as a first year, while also being named the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year. Additionally, she was a conference Defensive Player of the Week selection on October 19.
Mount Holyoke (15-6, 5-3 NEWMAC) earned the automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament with its win over Wellesley. The Lyons, who will be making their fifth appearance in program history and third straight, travel to Stevens Institute of Technology on Wednesday in Hoboken, N.J. Game time is set for 5pm and tickets can be purchased at the contest ($5 for adults, $2 for students, 12 & under are free). Live stats and live video will also be available at http://athletics.mtholyoke.edu/sports/fh/2015-16/schedule.
Photos of LaQuerre and DiCesare courtesy of Chris Wraight. Mushavi photo courtesy of RJB Sports Photography.
