CHANDLER, Ariz. – The 2016 Victory Sports Tours/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Senior Game roster has been announced and Mount Holyoke College student-athletes Liz DiCesare and Ruvimbo Mushavi were among 60 participants selected for this year's event. The game will take place on Saturday, November 19th at 4pm on the campus of William Smith College.
The duo are also among six New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) players that will be participating in the senior game. Joining the Lyons pair are two student-athletes each from both Babson and Wellesley College.
A senior goaltender and captain from Westford, Mass., DiCesare has had a solid campaign for the Lyons, posting a 10-6 record. She has a 1.56 goals against average to go along with a .777 save percentage. Surrendering just 25 goals over 16 games, she has notched 87 saves and has recorded one shutout.
One of the all-time best goaltenders in Mount Holyoke history, DiCesare has had a storied career for the Lyons, backstopping the team to the NEWMAC Championship final and the NCAA Tournament in each of her first three seasons. As a junior, the former Bishop Guertin High School standout had a 14-7 record, including seven shutouts. She posted a 1.32 goals against average with a .847 save percentage. Additionally, she made 149 saves over 1429:28 minutes of action.
In her sophomore season, DiCesare went 16-4 overall, posting a 1.16 goals against average with a .820 save percentage. She recorded 100 saves over 1329:10 minutes of action with four shutouts. She also ranked second in the NEWMAC in goals against average, save percentage and wins. As a rookie, DiCesare went 18-3 overall with a 1.14 GAA and a .841 save percentage. She had 111 saves, raking first in the conference in wins and save%.
A four-time NEWMAC Defensive Performer of the Week, DiCesare is also a three-time All-Conference selection, including a First Team honor. She is a three-time Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-New England East Region honoree, earning Longstreth/NFHCA All-America Third Team recognition in 2014. She is also a three-time honoree to the NFHCA National Academic Squad.
Mushavi, a senior defender and two-time captain from Harare, Zimbabwe, has continued to be a powerful force on the Lyons defense this season. The team leader in defensive saves with four, her presence on the blueline has been a constant challenge for opposing teams. Her efforts have helped MHC rank fourth in defensive saves (8), while posting the fourth lowest goals allowed total in the conference (29).
A defensive presence who has been an intimidating factor for opposition throughout her four years, Mushavi has started all 82 games thus far in her career. As a junior, she started all 22 contests, scoring one goal with a defensive save. Her goal came in the 2015 NEWMAC Semifinals, as she fired a shot in during the second overtime to lift the Lyons to a 1-0 win over top-seeded Babson.
During her sophomore season, the former Arundel School standout started all 21 games, helping to lead a Lyons defense that allowed just 1.03 goals per game and just 22 goals during the season, which including the team's second straight trip to the NCAA Sweet Sixteen. As a rookie, Mushavi made her presence known, recording a NEWMAC and team-high 11 defensive saves as a starter in all 21 games.
Mushavi, who is a three-time NEWMAC Defensive Performer of the Week honoree, is also a two-time All-Conference selection which includes First Team recognition in 2015. A two-time Longstreth/NFHCA New England East Region honoree, she was named to the NFHCA All-America Third Team in 2015 as well. She is also a three-time NFHCA National Academic Squad selection.
Mount Holyoke, which is 12-6 on the season, returns to action on Saturday, November 5 when they travel to Babson College for the NEWMAC Tournament Semifinals. The fifth-seeded Lyons will square off against the top-seeded Beavers for the second straight season with game time beginning at 11am. Last season, MHC defeated Babson 1-0 in double overtime behind Mushavi's first career goal.
The winner of Saturday's semifinal will advance to Sunday's NEWMAC Championship game, hosted at Babson. Start time for the game will be at 12:30pm against the winner of the second semifinal between third-seeded MIT and second-seeded Smith College.
Fans who are unable to make it to Saturday's game can follow all the action at http://athletics.mtholyoke.edu/sports/fh/2016-17/schedule.
