Springfield, Ohio — Wittenberg field hockey standouts Boo Vernon, class of 2011 from Lake Bluff, Ill., Tori Casanta, class of 2011 from Mason, Ohio, and Meredith Price, class of 2011 from Highland Park, Ill., have earned Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFCHA) Division III All-Great Lakes Region honors.
Vernon and Casanta both made first-team all-region, while Price was a second-team honoree. Vernon was a repeat selection to the first team, while Casanta moved up from second team to first team in 2008. Price also earned second-team All-Great Lakes Region a year ago.
The 2007 North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) Newcomer of the Year after topping the conference with 39 total points, 18 goals, six game-winning goals and 87 shots, Vernon was at it again this year with 45 total points, 19 goals, seven game-winning goals and 110 shots. She ranked third in the NCAC in points, goals and assists while leading the NCAC by a wide margin in game-winning goals.
Casanta, the 2007 NCAC Offensive Player of the Year after finishing second on the team and in the conference with 30 points and 12 goals, increased her scoring totals across the board in 2008. She finished with 25 goals - one short of Wittenberg's school record, eight assists and 58 total points to finish second in the NCAC in all three categories. Her five goals against Oberlin on Sept. 13 tied a school record.
Price followed up an outstanding freshman campaign in 2007 with an even better one in 2008. She scored two goals and added five assists for nine total points from her defender position. She also had a defensive save to increase her career total to five.
The Tigers finished the 2008 season with an 11-8 overall record and finished in fourth place in the NCAC with a 7-5 record. The Tigers saw their season come to an end at top-seeded Wooster in the NCAC Tournament semifinals with a 3-2 loss.
All-NCAC and All-America awards are both scheduled to be announced next week.
The Wittenberg field hockey program has not had a losing season since 1980 and is one of just two NCAC squads to reach the conference tournament in each of the seven years it has been played. Head Coach Diana Goggins has a four-year record of 44-30 leading the program, including a mark of 32-16 in NCAC play.
Written By: Ryan Maurer