FIELD HOCKEY: JWU's Miele, Decker, Sloan Win Major Awards Amidst GNAC All-Conference Announcement

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WINTHROP, Mass. – League champion Johnson & Wales University (RI) took home three major awards and placed four on the First Team as the Great Northeast Athletic Conference announced its 2021 Field Hockey All-Conference Teams on Tuesday morning.

Second-seeded JWU clinched its first-ever GNAC title and NCAA appearance with a 4-1 win over top-seeded Colby-Sawyer College on Saturday, as the Wildcats' witnessed forward Jillian Miele (pictured) take home GNAC Offensive Player of the Year honors, defender Claire Decker receive GNAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades, while first-year midfielder Katie Sloan was named the GNAC Rookie of the Year, as voted upon by the league's head coaches.

Miele led the GNAC in triple-crown fashion, as the GNAC Tournament MVP was tops in goals (26), assists (14) and points (66) among league leaders. Meanwhile Decker had five goals and four assists for 14 points as the Wildcats defense allowed just eight goals in GNAC play, and Rookie of the Year Sloan started all 20 games and registered nine points. 

Elms College's Nora Newman was voted the GNAC Goalkeeper of the Year after posting a .788 save percentage and 2.06 goals-against average in the Blazers' first year competing as a GNAC member. Elms earned a GNAC Tournament Quarterfinal road victory to advance to the semifinals last week. 

Lastly, Colby-Sawyer head coach Emily Dewdney was voted the GNAC Coach of the Year by her peers after guiding the Chargers to an 11-1 record in GNAC play and the top seed in the GANC Tournament. CSC had three student-athletes named to the All-GNAC First Team and nine total All-Conference selections. 

For the complete list of winners, including the All-Rookie and All-Sportsmanship Teams, please see below. 

FIRST TEAM
F – Aoife Daly, Colby-Sawyer
F – Jillian Miele, Johnson & Wales (RI)
F – Emma Rutledge, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
F – Sydney Gonyea, Simmons
M – Julia Lanctot, Colby-Sawyer
M – Margaret Johnson, Johnson & Wales (RI)
M – Meghan Hill, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Jess Shatford, Colby-Sawyer
B – Haley Budenas, Johnson & Wales (RI)
B – Claire Decker, Johnson & Wales (RI)
GK – Nora Newman, Elms

SECOND TEAM
F – Mya Bolk, Johnson & Wales (RI)
F – Sheridan Blaha, Lasell
F – Olivia Esposito, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
F – Emilia Elko, Simmons
M – Chayna Bingham-Hendricks, Anna Maria
M – Aleah Murph, Colby-Sawyer
M – Katie Sloan, Johnson & Wales (RI)
B – Chelsea Perry, Colby-Sawyer
B – Morgan Dalton, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
B – Emily Plummer, Simmons
GK – Lauren Wilkinson, Colby-Sawyer

THIRD TEAM
F – Chrissy Coffield, Colby-Sawyer
F – Courtney Larson, Colby-Sawyer
F – Hunter Langley, Rivier
F – Megan Quirion, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
M – Bella Silva, Colby-Sawyer
M – Carissa Ramirez, Elms
M – Claire Shepherd, Lasell
B – Sam Bonneau, Elms
B – Kayla Bednarz, Rivier
B – Alison Michalik, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
GK – Katie Olsen, Rivier

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Jillian Miele, Johnson & Wales (RI)
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Claire Decker, Johnson & Wales (RI)
GOALKEEPER OF THE YEAR – Nora Newman, Elms
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – Katie Sloan, Johnson & Wales (RI)
COACH OF THE YEAR – Emily Dewdney, Colby-Sawyer
TEAM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD – Dean  

ALL-ROOKIE TEAM
Sam Bonneau, Elms
Mya Bolk, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Haley Budenas, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Katie Sloan, Johnson & Wales (RI)
Abby Nadeau, Rivier
Wendy Bowden, St. Joseph (Conn.)
Abbie Jacques, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Cailyn Wesley, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Emilia Elko, Simmons
Sydney Gonyea, Simmons
Anna Tedeschi, Simmons

ALL-SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM
Jesly Cortez, Albertus Magnus 
Abigayle Celata, Anna Maria
Caroline Koziol, Colby-Sawyer
Zoe Coleman, Dean 
Nora Newman, Elms
Megan Kramer, Johnson & Wales
Kaitlyn Duarte, Lasell 
Hannah Schneiderman, Regis
Madison Streeter, Rivier
Taya Valdez, St. Joseph (CT)
Emma Dubuc, Saint Joseph's (Me.)
Haley Dover, Simmons 

The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) is an NCAA Division III association made up of 14 member institutions and over 3,500 student-athletes across the New England region. Founded in 1995, the GNAC annually sponsors and administers 22 championships, while balancing academic integrity, athletic opportunity and community involvement in an effort to enhance the student-athlete experience. 

– #TheGNAC –