SUWANEE, Ga. – DePauw
University’s Margaret Ellis, after her record-breaking
season, was tabbed as SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year, and Rhodes
College’s Sarah Dockery, whose work in goal helped lead the
Lynx to the 2010 conference tournament title, was selected SCAC
Defensive Player-of-the-Year in exclusive voting by the
league’s head field hockey coaches.
In balloting for the remaining major awards, Chelsea Cutler of
DePauw and Chelsea Klein of Centre College split the vote to share
SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year honors, and Jane Wells of Rhodes was
voted SCAC Coach-of-the-Year for the second consecutive year.
Ellis (pictured left), a sophomore forward from St.
Louis, Mo., shattered most SCAC single-season scoring records this
season, including points (51), points per game (2.55), goals (24)
and goals per game (1.20) after transferring to DePauw from the
University of Richmond. She scored and/or had an assist in all but
three of the Tigers’ games, and netted six game-winning
goals. In addition to creating scoring opportunities inside the
circle, Ellis also led the Tigers in offensive transition through
her elimination skills, passing ability and speed. Her
decision-making skills and ability to take a variety of shots made
her a threat every time she received the ball. A three-time SCAC
Player-of-the-Week during the regular season, Ellis’ ranked
11th in the Division III in goals per game and 22nd in points per
game.
Rhodes’ Dockery (pictured right), a senior from
Dallas, Texas, has been huge for the Lynx this fall. Academically a
senior, this was her first year on the team after playing two
spring seasons for Rhodes. She finished the regular season with a
0.92 goals against average and leads the SCAC and is second in the
nation in save percentage at .889. Dockery, who had many
game-changing saves for the Lynx during the 2010 season, recorded
five shutouts en route to the teams’ SCAC championship run.
The SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week in Week 5, she came up even
bigger in conference play, leading the SCAC in goals-against
average (0.47), shutouts (4), and save percentage (.914).
Cutler of DePauw (pictured left), a first-year
forward/midfielder from Victoria, British Columbia, scored three
goals and added an assist for the Tigers. At the beginning of the
season, Cutler played forward but moved to mid-field (left side)
toward the end of the year because of her ability to help the team
transition the ball from defense to offense. Cutler’s
versatility allowed her to play on both offensive and defensive
corners, as she possessed the ability to score as well as make a
defensive save when needed.
Klein of Centre (pictured right), a first-year forward
from Louisville, Ky., made an immediate impact for the Colonels in
2010, as her speed and skill down the left side created a number of
scoring chances and penalty corners. Additionally, Klein combined
her individual skill with some superior finishing in the circle to
post a team-leading 10 goals (third in the SCAC). She also ranked
in the top 10 in the league in points (24 - third), points per game
(1.50 - third), goals per game (0.62 - third), assists (four -
eighth), assists per game (0.25 - eighth), and game-winning goals
(two - fourth).
Jane Wells (pictured left) led Rhodes to a 17-1
overall mark, the best record in school history, and a perfect 8-0
conference record – the first school in league history to
navigate the regular season without a conference loss. On Monday,
the Lynx received an at-large berth into the 2010 NCAA Division III
Field Hockey Tournament and, after receiving a first-round bye,
will face the winner of Salisbury and Mary Washington on Saturday
at Messiah College.
Rhodes’ record 17 wins include two victories and a tournament
title at the 2010 SCAC Field Hockey Championships – the
fourth conference championship for the Rhodes’ program (the
third under Wells’ leadership). No other SCAC program has
more than one field hockey tournament title since the league
granted the sport official status in 2004. In six years at the helm
of the Lynx, Wells sports an overall mark of 70-37 (34-10 in SCAC
play) and is the winningest coach in the history of the
conference.
Earlier this week, Rhodes became the first school in league history
to achieve a top 20 ranking in the Kookaburra / NFHCA Division III
National Coaches Poll, coming in at 20th.
To view the complete 2010 All-SCAC Field Hockey release, click
here.