SOUTH HADLEY, Mass. – The 2014 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-American Teams have been announced and two Mount Holyoke College student-athletes were recognized. Kirsten Kilburn was named to the Second Team, while Liz DiCesare was a Third Team honoree. It marks the second straight honor for Kilburn and the first for DiCesare.
A senior captain from North Branford, Conn., Kilburn garnered All-American honors after leading the Lyons in scoring with 13 goals and a NEWMAC-best 19 assists for 45 points. She added a conference-high 117 shots, including 68 on goal with a NEWMAC-leading six game-winning goals. Kilburn, who plays midfield, also finished first in Division III in assists per game, posting a .90 average.
The former North Branford High School standout tallied at least one goal in nine contests, including a three-tally effort in a 5-2 victory against Babson College (10/18). One of the conference's toughest two-way players, Kilburn posted an assist in 13 games this season and was a two-time NEWMAC and an ECAC New England Offensive Performer of the Week selection this season.
Kilburn concluded her MHC field hockey career having played in 80 contests. She tallied 62 goals with 54 assists for 178 points. Kilburn also recorded 455 shots (276 on goal) and scored 13 game-winning tallies. During her senior season, she became the Lyons' all-time career leader in both assists and points, while ranking second in career goals.
DiCesare, a sophomore goalie out of Westford, Mass., earned her first All-America honor after finishing the season with a 16-4 record. She posted a 1.16 goals against average and had a .820 save percentage. DiCesare made 100 saves on the season over 1329:10 minutes of action. Among the NEWMAC leaders, she was second in wins, goals against average and save percentage, while ranking fifth in goals against (22).
A former standout at Bishop Guertin High School, DiCesare was both a NEWMAC Defensive and ECAC New England Defensive Performer of the Week this season. She was also named to the Longstreth/NFHCA All-New England East Region First Team. During her rookie campaign, she was the conference's Rookie of the Year and a Second Team selection, while also being named to the All-Region Second Team.
Mount Holyoke concluded another outstanding season on Saturday, falling to Bowdoin College in the Second Round of the NCAA Tournament. The Lyons posted a 17-4 record, going 7-1 in the NEWMAC. The squad also finished the season ranked #13 in Division III, the program's highest national ranking in history.
