FIELD HOCKEY: SJC's Rutledge Highlights 2019 All-GNAC Teams

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Monks forward Emma Rutledge
voted GNAC Offensive Player of the Year

WINTHROP, Mass. – Fresh off their fourth straight league title, Saint Joseph's College of Maine placed seven on the 2019 Great Northeast Athletic Conference All-Conference Teams, headlined by Monks sophomore forward Emma Rutledge, who was voted the GNAC Offensive Player of the Year.

For the complete All-GNAC Teams and major winners, please see below.

Rutledge led the way for the Monks, who will take on Babson in the NCAA Division III Tournament, with 12 goals and eight assists for 32 points thus far on the season.

Monks head coach Rupert Lewis was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year following a vote by his peers, as SJC's Libby Pomerleau and Alexandra Belaire joined Rutledge on the First Team.

Lasell University senior Mindy Esposito was named the 2019 GNAC Defensive Player of the Year, as the Lasers advanced all the way to the GNAC Championship where they fell to Saint Joe's.

Regis College freshman Sheridan Blaha was selected as the GNAC Rookie of the Year, as Blaha was second among GNAC leaders in both goals (17) and points (35) for the Pride, who advanced to the GNAC Semifinals as the No. 5 and final playoff seed. The forward was an All-GNAC Second Team choice.

As the First Team selection at goalkeeper, Simmons University junior Lucy McNamara received GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the Sharks. She was tops among GNAC leaders in save percentage (.830) and posted a miniscule 1.70 goals against average.

At forward on the All-GNAC First Team, Colby-Sawyer College's Alie Jones, Lasell's Sam Taylor, and Johnson & Wales University's Jillian Miele garnered selections.

Jones had nine goals and three assists for 21 points, Taylor had 12 goals and nine assists for 33 points, while Miele led the GNAC in both goals (21) and points (51) while tying for second on the league leaderboard with nine assists.

Rounding out the First Team were Lasell's Brooke Landry, and Simmons' Maggie Fuzak and Abby Anderson.

First Team
F – Alie Jones, Colby-Sawyer
F – Sam Taylor, Lasell
F – Jillian Miele, Johnson & Wales (RI)
F – Emma Rutledge, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Brooke Landry, Lasell
M – Libby Pomerleau, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Maggie Fuzak, Simmons
B – Mindy Esposito, Lasell
B – Alexandra Belaire, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Abby Anderson, Simmons
GK – Lucy McNamara, Simmons

Second Team
F – Chayna Bingham-Hendricks, Anna Maria
F – Sheridan Blaha, Regis (Mass.)
F – Alexa Gutowski, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
F – Olivia Trull, Simmons
M – Julia Lanctot, Colby-Sawyer
M – Hunter Langley, Rivier
M – Maddy Beaulieu, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Kailyn Lapham, Colby-Sawyer
B – Grace Duguay, Lasell
B – Kylee Veilleux, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – Alexandria Simpson, Saint Joseph's (Me.)

GNAC Offensive Player of the Year – Emma Rutledge, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GNAC Defensive Player of the Year – Mindy Esposito, Lasell
GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year – Lucy McNamara, Simmons
GNAC Rookie of the Year – Sheridan Blaha, Regis (Mass.)
GNAC Coach of the Year – Rupert Lewis, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GNAC Institutional Sportsmanship Award – Albertus Magnus College

2019 GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team
Joselyn Streeto, Albertus Magnus
Abigayle Celata, Anna Maria
Whitney O'Brien, Colby-Sawyer
Kerrianne Fagan, Johnson & Wales
Chloe Shugrue, Lasell
Sidney Lowe , Regis
Jaclyn Fraser, Rivier
Alexandria Simpson, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Megan Pereira, Simmons        

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 13 member institutions and over 3,000 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 20 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

– #TheGNAC –