Tori Casanta
Springfield, Ohio — Five Wittenberg University field hockey student-athletes were rewarded for their outstanding 2009 season with All-Great Lakes Region awards from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.
Boo Vernon, class of 2011 from Lake Bluff, Ill., and Elizabeth Dwyer, class of 2012 from St. Louis, Mo., were both honored with first-team selections. Tori Casanta, class of 2011 from Mason, Ohio, Kelley Herde, class of 2011 from Louisville, Ky., and Meredith Price, class of 2011 from Highland Park, Ill., earned spots on the second team.
Vernon led the Tigers and ranked among the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) and NCAA Division III leaders in scoring with 46 total points (17 goals and 12 assists). She stands No. 2 in school history with 54 career goals, 23 behind Amy Kraus, who ranks No. 2 in NCAC history.
Dwyer contributed 14 goals and six assists for 34 total points after transferring to Wittenberg from arch-rival Wooster. Her totals were matched by Casanta, who finished with 15 goals and four assists for 34 total points and now ranks No. 3 in school history with 52 career goals.
Herde ranks among the nation's best in defensive saves with an NCAC-best 12 on the 2009 season. She and Price led a defensive unit that made significant strides through the regular season to record five shutouts.
Vernon, Dwyer, Casanta and Price all earned first-team All-NCAC honors as well. Price, who added three goals - including a dramatic overtime game-winner against Kenyon - and three assists to the offensive attack, was further honored as the conference's Defensive Player of the Year. Herde, who also finished among the team leaders with six assists, was picked for the NCAC's second team.
Vernon has now made first-team all-region and first-team All-NCAC in each of her first three collegiate seasons. Casanta has made second-team all-region twice and first-team once, in addition to three consecutive first-team all-conference awards. Price has made second-team All-NCAC once and first-team All-NCAC twice to go along with back-to-back second-team All-Great Lakes Region awards. Dwyer and Herde both made their first all-region appearances. Herde has one first-team all-conference and one second-team all-conference award to her credit.
The Tigers got off to a slow start in 2009, losing the opener at home to Denison and falling to 1-2 in the NCAC with a 7-2 loss at Wooster on Sept. 19. However, the Tiger defense stiffened and the team caught fire, winning nine of 11 games to close the regular season, including their last nine against conference competition. After an overtime 1-0 loss to Ohio Wesleyan in the NCAC Tournament semifinals, the Tigers were selected to compete in the program's eighth NCAA Division III Tournament. Wittenberg was defeated by seventh-ranked Lebanon Valley in the first round.
Written by: Ryan Maurer