SUWANEE, Ga. - The Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference released the 2009 SCAC Field Hockey Prospectus today. The prospectus includes schedules, standings, statistics and a complete list of previous conference champions. The publication also includes an in depth look and preview of all 5 SCAC field hockey teams and much more.
For the second straight season the Southern Collegiate Athletic
Conference (SCAC) sent a team to the NCAA Tournament. Last season,
it was Sewanee-The University of the South who advanced after
winning three games in three days, including a thrilling 1-0
contest over Centre College in the conference championship match.
Once again the ever-competitive SCAC is poised for another exciting
year of field hockey as the conference looks to advance yet another
team into the NCAA Tournament.
Two-time SCAC field hockey Coach of the Year Tom Hobbs returns to
head the Centre Colonels, who despite falling just
short of the program’s second conference title, are looking
to build off a successful 2008 season that produced an overall mark
of 12-7. Sophomore goalkeeper Patty Cowley returns as the first
player in league history to be named SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year as
well as the Defensive-Player-of-the-Year in the same season. The
Colonels, however, will need to find a replacement for Teresa
Johnstone, who graduated as the SCAC career leader in goals (36),
assists (17) and points (89).
The Tigers of DePauw University return 11 letter
winners, including seven starters from a team that finished 14-4
last year and posted the highest single-season winning percentage
in conference history. Third-year head coach Gina Preston has a lot
of talent to work with, including 2008 SCAC
Co-Offensive-Player-of-the-Year Sarah Riffle. Riffle scored the
second most goals (15) in a single-season in conference history
last season and averaged a conference record 1.78 points per game.
The Tigers also return SCAC Co-Newcomer-of-the-Year Kimberly
Trainor, who added four goals and three assists in her first season
in Greencastle.
Rhodes College enters the 2009 season coming off
its third straight winning season. The Lynx started the 2008
campaign with a school record 8-1 mark through nine games but went
just 2-8 the rest of the way to finish 10-9. Head coach Jane Wells
enters her fifth season and will have arguably her most experienced
team with 21 returnees – including seven starters from the
2008 squad. The Lynx will be led by two-time All-SCAC and
All-Region performer junior Charlie Wagner, who will anchor the
midfield. Fellow junior Lindsey Gurkovich, who paced Rhodes with 10
goals and five assists last year, also returns as the Lynx look to
post the program’s fourth straight winning season.
Head coach Ellie Karvoski looks to continue to build the
Hendrix College program and has seven juniors and
three sophomores to assist in the process. The 2008 SCAC
Co-Coach-of-the-Year, Karvoski led the Warriors to four wins last
season after suffering through a winless inaugural campaign in
2007. After scoring just one goal in 2007, Hendrix exploded
offensively in 2008 to tally 23 scores – led by the 10 goals
posted by returning junior Abby Coleman. The Warriors are excited
about the 2009 season and are hoping to continue to build off the
program’s success from a year ago.
In her first-year at the helm at Sewanee-The University of
the South, head coach Jennifer Baldaccini led the Tigers
to the program’s first-ever SCAC conference field hockey
title as well as its first-ever NCAA tournament appearance. Sewanee
finished the year strong, winning eight of its final nine matches
including three in three days to take the 2008 SCAC title. The
Purple Tigers return a strong group of players, including five
starters to go along with a talented incoming freshman class.
However, if Sewanee wants to return to the conference final for the
third consecutive year, the Tigers will have to replace the
offensive production of 2008 SCAC Co-Offensive Player-of-the-Year
Lynn Hancock, who set new conference single-season records a year
ago for both goals scored (16) and points tallied (34).
To view the entire 2009 Field Hockey Prospectus, click here.