SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The 2013 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-Region Teams have been announced and four Mount Holyoke College student-athletes were recognized on the New England East Region squad. Juniors Diana Banmann and Kirsten Kilburn were First Team honorees, while sophomore Sarah LaQuerre and first year Liz DiCesare earned nods on the Second Team. This is the first All-Region for Banmann, LaQuerre and DiCesare. Kilburn was a Second Team selection in 2012.
A forward from Hanover, Germany, Banmann tallied a team-high 32 goals with four assists for a squad-best 68 points as a starter in all 21 contests. She also posted team-best numbers in shots (128), shots on goal (95) and game-winning goals (7). Additionally, Banmann, who earned NEWMAC Offensive Performer of the Week four times during 2013, is currently ranked second in Division III in goals per game (1.52) and ranks sixth in points per game (3.24).
Banmann, who was a NEWMAC All-Conference First Team honoree, tallied at least one goal in 16 of 20 contests, including three or more in five contests. Her hat tricks were clutch for the Lyons, coming in a 10-0 win over Regis (8/31), a 7-1 victory at Nichols (9/5), a 3-2 overtime win against Amherst, a 4-2 decision at Springfield (10/12) and a 6-2 victory at then-#19 MIT (10/26).
Among the NEWMAC's best, Banmann ranked first in goals and shots on goal, while ranking second in both points, shots and game-winning goals.
Earning All-Region honors for the second straight season was Kilburn, a midfielder and captain from North Branford, Conn., who was second on the squad in scoring with 57 points on a squad-best 19 assists and 19 goals. She ranks second in the nation and led the conference in assists per game (0.90). Additionally, Kilburn is 15th in points per game (2.71) among Division III's best.
A former standout at North Branford High School, Kilburn tallied at least one goal in 12 contests, including a four-tally effort in an 8-0 victory against Western New England University (9/14). One of the conference's toughest two-way players, Kilburn posted an assist in 12 games this season and was a NEWMAC All-Conference First Team selection for the second straight season.
LaQuerre, a midfielder out of Old Orchard Beach, Maine started all 21 games this season, tallying two goals with 10 assists for 14 points. She concluded the season ranked third on team in assists, while finishing fourth in total points. Additionally, LaQuerre ranked third in the NEWMAC and second on the team in defensive saves with five.
A graduate of Cheverus High School, LaQuerre was a critical member of the Lyons defense as well as MHC currently ranks third in the nation in save percentage (.862), 12th in goals against average (1.03) and 20th in defensive saves (17). Among her best stops was in the NEWMAC Championship Game, where she posted two defensive saves in a 1-0 overtime loss to Wellesley.
DiCesare, a goaltender out of Westford, Mass., concluded her rookie season with an 18-3 record. In addition to a 1.14 goals against average, she boasted a .841 save percentage as a starter in all 21 games. She recorded 111 saves on the season and allowed just 21 goals in 1289:53 minutes of action. The NEWMAC Rookie of the Year and a Second Team honoree, she led the conference in several categories, including wins and save percentage.
A former standout at Bishop Guertin High School, DiCesare was also second in the NEWMAC in goals against average and saves. Among the nation's best, she currently ranks fifth in save percentage and is 16th in goals against average.
DiCesare backstopped the Lyons to a number of incredible wins this season, including a 3-2 overtime victory against then-#11 Amherst on September 10 and a 5-2 win over Gwynedd-Mercy in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. That win was the first NCAA victory in program history. Additionally, she recorded 13 saves in a 1-0 double-overtime loss to top-ranked Montclair State in the NCAA Tournament Second Round.
