STANDISH, ME - The Saint Joseph's College field hockey team has been honored as a 2008 National All-Academic Team by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), awarded to programs with a team GPA of 3.0 or higher. Nine Lady Monks were also honored individually for achieving academic excellence, having posted at least a 3.30 GPA during the fall semester.

The SJC field hockey program, which recorded a collective 3.11 GPA during the 2008 fall semester, has garnered the prestigious honor in following each of the last four seasons with Head Coach Rupert Lewis at the helm.

Seven of the nine players honored are repeat award recipients. Seniors Kelly Emerson (Vassalboro, ME) and Lauren Snow (Dover-Foxcroft, ME) have received the honor in each of their four years at Saint Joseph's, while juniors Julia Ostrowski (Albany, NY), Kerri Boutin (Georgetown, MA) and Allison Zellers (Concord, NH) are three-time honorees. Kimberly Glynn ‘10 (Danvers, MA) and Alyssa Dunn ‘11 (Standish, ME) receive the accolade for the second time, while Courtney Rague ‘11 (Old Orchard Beach, ME) and Ashley Walukevic ‘12 (Kingston, NH) have been mentioned for the first time.

Emerson, Snow, Ostrowski, Boutin and Zellers were also named to the NAC All-Academic Team last month.

In all, 97 field hockey programs across the country received honors while 1,070 players hailing from 121 colleges and universities were mentioned. Three North Atlantic Conference teams were honored, as Saint Joseph's joins Castleton State and Simmons on the 2008 All-Academic Team list.

The Lady Monks posted a program-best 15-6 record in 2008 and advanced to the North Atlantic Championship game in the team's first year as a league member. For the second-straight season, St. Joe's participated in the ECAC DIII Championship Tournament.

NFHCA DIII National Academic Team Release

NFHCA DIII National Academic Squad Release