STANDISH, Maine – The Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Field Hockey postseason honors have been announced and six Saint Joseph's College players have earned accolades.
Senior forward Emma Rutledge (Alfred, Maine) and senior midfielder Meghan Hill (Brookline, N.H.) have claimed First Team All-Conference honors while senior forward Olivia Esposito (North Reading, Mass.) and senior defender Morgan Dalton (Livermore Falls, Maine) have collected Second Team acclaim.
Junior forward Megan Quirion (Oakland, Maine) and freshman defender Alison Michalik (Rutland, Mass.) are listed on the Third Team.
Rutledge earns All-Conference honors for the third-consecutive season after leading the Monks offensively with 21 goals, 10 assists, and 52 total points during her senior campaign. She finished the season ranked second in the conference in goals, assists, points, and game-winning goals (5) and was fourth in shots (93).
One of the best players in program history, the 2018 GNAC Rookie of the Year and 2019 GNAC Player of the Year tallied 53 goals and 33 assists for 139 points with 12 game-winners in 63 career games. She capped her career ranked second in team history in assists and third in goals, points, and game-winning goals.
Hill claims the first All-Conference honor of her career after netting four goals with an assist for nine total points during her senior campaign. She netted the game-winner in the Monks' season-opening 3-2 victory over Skidmore College and completed her career with 15 goals and two assists for 32 points in 55 career games.
Esposito also collects her first All-GNAC bid after enjoying a career year with seven goals and five assists for 19 total points. She potted the game-clincher over Colby-Sawyer College on October 6th and finished her career with 11 goals and six assists for 28 points with four game-winners in 49 games.
An athletic defender with outstanding field vision, Dalton was a staple on the Monks' backline for three years and will be difficult to replace going forward. While starting all 19 games this fall, Dalton was credited with two defensive saves and played a pivotal role in helping SJC post nine shutout victories this season. For her career, Dalton made five defensive saves over 51 contests.
Quirion also takes home her first All-Conference honor after netting 10 goals with an assist for 21 total points during her junior season. The third-year forward ranked second on the team in goals and points this fall and heads into her senior season as the Monks' top scoring returner with 15 goals and four assists for 34 points over 35 career contests.
Michalik rounds out the Monks' list of 2021 All-Conference honorees after starting all 19 games with four assists and a pair of defensive saves this fall. A player the Monks will look to build around going forward, Michalik was one of just five freshmen players to garner All-GNAC honors this season.
Freshman Abbie Jacques (Mount Vernon, Maine) and sophomore Cailyn Wesley (Peabody, Mass.) have also been listed on the GNAC All-Rookie Team.
Led by 17th-year Head Coach Rupert Lewis, the Monks posted a 14-5 overall record with a 9-2 mark in GNAC play en route to earning the #3 seed in the conference tourney. St. Joe's opened the postseason with a convincing 4-0 quarterfinal triumph over Lasell University but fell to eventual GNAC Champion Johnson & Wales University, 1-0 in overtime, in the semifinal round.
2021 FIELD HOCKEY ALL-GNAC TEAMS
