James Madison University | Official Athletics Site
Top-Seeded Dukes Sweep 2015 CAA Major Awards
11/5/2015 6:01:00 PM | Field Hockey
RICHMOND, Va. – No. 16 James Madison field hockey swept the major Colonial Athletic Association season awards and seven Dukes garnered 2015 All-CAA honors, the league announced Thursday evening. The awards were decided by a vote of the league's coaches.
Redshirt senior midfielder Taylor West highlighted the awards by being named CAA Player of the Year. Senior defender Loes Stijntjes earned Defensive Player of the Year, while freshman forward Melissa Wilken was tabbed as Rookie of the Year. Head Coach Christy Morgan was named Coach of the Year for the second time.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sara Kraeutler joined West and Stijntjes on the All-CAA First Team, while Wilken and sophomore forward/midfielder Hannah Hall were named to the All-CAA Second Team. Wilken also made the All-Rookie team along with freshman forward/midfielder Miranda Rigg. The honors were rounded out by sophomore forward Melanie Kusakavitch earning a spot on the league's All-Academic team.
Just the third JMU player to earn Player of the Year honors (sixth overall honor), West has had a prolific JMU career. She led the Dukes with 15 goals and 32 points in her final regular season, and her mark of 0.83 goals per game currently is tied for 12th best in the country. She is third in the CAA for goals and points and sits in fourth with 3.44 shots per game. With 55 career goals, West is tied for fourth on the JMU all-time goal list and is in sole possession of fourth on the all-time points list with 128. Her best performance this season came at William and Mary on Oct. 23 when she scored her fifth career hat trick in a 6-2 win. This is her second appearance on the All-CAA First Team.
The third consecutive Duke to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Stijntjes is one of the league's best two-way players, having tallied 10 goals and seven assists while leading a defense that held a CAA-best 1.76 goals against average. A team captain, she helped the Dukes to a 1.81 scoring margin, the seventh best mark in the country. Stijntjes has started in all 74 games she's played in her career, including every JMU game for the past three seasons. She ranks third in the CAA in shots per game (3.61), tied for seventh in goals (10), eighth in points (27) and tied for eighth in assists (7). The Steenokkerzeel, Belgium, native had an eight-point performance on Aug. 30, collecting three goals and two assists in an 8-1 win at Longwood. This marks her second consecutive selection to the All-CAA First Team.
In her first collegiate season, Wilken led the Dukes with 10 assists, the second-highest total in the CAA. She was also second on the team with nine goals, three of which were game-winners. Wilken had four multi-goal performances, including two goals and an assist in the 4-1 win over Richmond on Sept. 11. The Oudtshoorn, South Africa, native racked up a season-high three assists in the 5-0 win over Appalachian State on Sept. 18, and finished the regular season with 28 points, the third-highest total by a JMU freshman in program history. She is the fourth Duke to earn CAA Rookie of the Year honors.
In her second season back and 11th overall season coaching the Dukes, Morgan led JMU to a 13-5 record with a 6-0 mark in CAA play, the first undefeated league season since 2008 (8-0). JMU won the 2015 regular season conference title and the right to host the CAA field hockey tournament. This season JMU played six games against ranked opponents, including a 4-1 win over No. 17 Iowa on Sept. 6. Morgan won CAA Coach of the Year in 1993, one year before leading the Dukes to a national championship, the first of any sport at JMU.
Kraeutler started every game in goal for the Dukes this season, leading the CAA with a 1.77 goals against average. Her .738 save percentage and three shutouts are both second highest in the conference. Kraeutler ranks eighth in the nation with a goalie win-loss percentage of .800.
Hall has started all 38 games in her two-year JMU career. After recording two points as a freshman, Hall broke out with four goals and four assists this year for 12 points. She scored the first two goals of her collegiate career in the 8-1 win over Longwood on Aug. 30.
Rigg has played in every game of her freshman season, earning starts in nine. Her seven goals and 16 points are both fourth-best on the team. She led the Dukes with a goal and an assist in the 4-1 win over No. 17 Iowa on Sept. 6.
In addition to her excellence in the classroom, Kusakavitch played in every game for JMU this season, tallying five goals and four assists.
Top-seeded JMU opens the CAA tournament by hosting fourth-seeded Drexel in the semifinals at the JMU Field Hockey Complex at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. The winner will play the winner of second-seeded No. 15 Delaware and third-seeded Hofstra in the final on Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission to all CAA field hockey tournament contests is free.
Redshirt senior midfielder Taylor West highlighted the awards by being named CAA Player of the Year. Senior defender Loes Stijntjes earned Defensive Player of the Year, while freshman forward Melissa Wilken was tabbed as Rookie of the Year. Head Coach Christy Morgan was named Coach of the Year for the second time.
Sophomore goalkeeper Sara Kraeutler joined West and Stijntjes on the All-CAA First Team, while Wilken and sophomore forward/midfielder Hannah Hall were named to the All-CAA Second Team. Wilken also made the All-Rookie team along with freshman forward/midfielder Miranda Rigg. The honors were rounded out by sophomore forward Melanie Kusakavitch earning a spot on the league's All-Academic team.
Just the third JMU player to earn Player of the Year honors (sixth overall honor), West has had a prolific JMU career. She led the Dukes with 15 goals and 32 points in her final regular season, and her mark of 0.83 goals per game currently is tied for 12th best in the country. She is third in the CAA for goals and points and sits in fourth with 3.44 shots per game. With 55 career goals, West is tied for fourth on the JMU all-time goal list and is in sole possession of fourth on the all-time points list with 128. Her best performance this season came at William and Mary on Oct. 23 when she scored her fifth career hat trick in a 6-2 win. This is her second appearance on the All-CAA First Team.
The third consecutive Duke to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Year, Stijntjes is one of the league's best two-way players, having tallied 10 goals and seven assists while leading a defense that held a CAA-best 1.76 goals against average. A team captain, she helped the Dukes to a 1.81 scoring margin, the seventh best mark in the country. Stijntjes has started in all 74 games she's played in her career, including every JMU game for the past three seasons. She ranks third in the CAA in shots per game (3.61), tied for seventh in goals (10), eighth in points (27) and tied for eighth in assists (7). The Steenokkerzeel, Belgium, native had an eight-point performance on Aug. 30, collecting three goals and two assists in an 8-1 win at Longwood. This marks her second consecutive selection to the All-CAA First Team.
In her first collegiate season, Wilken led the Dukes with 10 assists, the second-highest total in the CAA. She was also second on the team with nine goals, three of which were game-winners. Wilken had four multi-goal performances, including two goals and an assist in the 4-1 win over Richmond on Sept. 11. The Oudtshoorn, South Africa, native racked up a season-high three assists in the 5-0 win over Appalachian State on Sept. 18, and finished the regular season with 28 points, the third-highest total by a JMU freshman in program history. She is the fourth Duke to earn CAA Rookie of the Year honors.
In her second season back and 11th overall season coaching the Dukes, Morgan led JMU to a 13-5 record with a 6-0 mark in CAA play, the first undefeated league season since 2008 (8-0). JMU won the 2015 regular season conference title and the right to host the CAA field hockey tournament. This season JMU played six games against ranked opponents, including a 4-1 win over No. 17 Iowa on Sept. 6. Morgan won CAA Coach of the Year in 1993, one year before leading the Dukes to a national championship, the first of any sport at JMU.
Kraeutler started every game in goal for the Dukes this season, leading the CAA with a 1.77 goals against average. Her .738 save percentage and three shutouts are both second highest in the conference. Kraeutler ranks eighth in the nation with a goalie win-loss percentage of .800.
Hall has started all 38 games in her two-year JMU career. After recording two points as a freshman, Hall broke out with four goals and four assists this year for 12 points. She scored the first two goals of her collegiate career in the 8-1 win over Longwood on Aug. 30.
Rigg has played in every game of her freshman season, earning starts in nine. Her seven goals and 16 points are both fourth-best on the team. She led the Dukes with a goal and an assist in the 4-1 win over No. 17 Iowa on Sept. 6.
In addition to her excellence in the classroom, Kusakavitch played in every game for JMU this season, tallying five goals and four assists.
Top-seeded JMU opens the CAA tournament by hosting fourth-seeded Drexel in the semifinals at the JMU Field Hockey Complex at 3 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 6. The winner will play the winner of second-seeded No. 15 Delaware and third-seeded Hofstra in the final on Sunday at 2 p.m. Admission to all CAA field hockey tournament contests is free.
Players Mentioned
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F, M
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D, M
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