League-Best 4 Players Voted Preseason All-BIG EAST; Lady Flames Picked 2nd in Poll
8/16/2018 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
A league-high four Liberty field hockey players were named to the preseason All-BIG EAST team on Thursday afternoon by the conference. Additionally, the Lady Flames have been selected to finish second in the league in its preseason poll as voted on by the league's head coaches.
Liberty sophomore defender/midfielder Ashley Dykema was named the 2018 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, while junior forward/midfielder Agueda Moroni grabbed Co-Offensive Preseason Player of the Year honors, sharing the award with Connecticut senior Amanda Collins.
Both Dykema and Moroni were also selected to the preseason All-BIG EAST team, along with their teammates, sophomore midfielder Jill Bolton and junior goalkeeper Allison Schaefer. All four Liberty players were All-BIG EAST selections in 2017.
The Lady Flames, who have been picked to finish second in the league for a third straight year, led all teams with four honorees (of the 11 spots) on the preseason All-BIG EAST team. Defending conference champion and 2017 national champion UConn placed two players on the team, as did Old Dominion and Providence. Quinnipiac featured one student-athlete on the listing.
Dykema, a unanimous selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team, was a first team All-BIG EAST honoree, All-Tournament team, and All-Academic team recipient as a freshman in 2017. The native of Newport News, Va., started all 19 games on the back line for Liberty, also earning a Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID) All-State second team selection.
Moroni, a Longsteth/NFHCA Division I All-America second team selection in 2017, earned numerous other accolades in 2017, taking home NFHCA All-South Region first team, All-BIG EAST first team, VaSID All-State first team, BIG EAST All-Tournament team and BIG EAST All-Academic team honors. The Cordoba, Argentina, native led the Lady Flames in goals (19, matching a school record), assists (8) and points (46) while ranking eighth in the country in goals per game (1.00) and ninth in points per game (2.42).
Dykema and Moroni's selections mark the first time Liberty players have been named either preseason defensive or offensive player of the year since Serena Barr was named preseason co-defensive player of the year in 2016. The Lady Flames are entering their third year in the BIG EAST.
Bolton started all 19 games as a freshman in 2017, earning NFHCA All-South Region second team recognition. The Souderton, Pa., native was one of just 23 freshmen in the nation to be named to an all-region squad. Also a first team All-BIG EAST and second team VaSID All-State recipient, Bolton finished second on the squad in goals (9), assists (5) and points (23) a year ago.
Schaefer, the 2016 BIG EAST Freshman of the Year, enjoyed another successful campaign as a sophomore, achieving All-BIG EAST second team status. The Millersville, Pa., native also became the program's all-time career saves leader (currently has 227) and posted three shutouts on the year. Schaefer garnered inclusion on the BIG EAST All-Academic team for her efforts in the classroom during her second year at Liberty.
Following two exhibition contests (Thursday at home vs. Wake Forest, Saturday on the road at North Carolina), the Lady Flames will open their 2018 regular season at James Madison on Aug. 24 at 6 p.m.
At the end of regular season play, the top four teams in the league standings will advance to the 2018 BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship, hosted for the first time at Liberty, Nov. 2 and 4 at the Liberty Field Hockey Field. The conference champion receives an automatic bid to the 2018 Division I Field Hockey Championship.
2018 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Honors
BIG EAST Preseason Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Amanda Collins, UConn, Sr., F
Agueda Moroni, Liberty, Jr., F/M
BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Ashley Dykema, Liberty, So., D/M
2018 Field Hockey Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
Svea Boker, UConn, Jr., F
^Amanda Collins, UConn, Sr., F
Jill Bolton, Liberty, So., M
^Ashley Dykema, Liberty, So., D/M
Agueda Moroni, Liberty, Jr., F/M
Allison Schaefer, Liberty, Jr., GK
Rebecca Birch, Old Dominion, Jr., B
^Erin Huffman, Old Dominion, Jr., F
Corrine Kenney, Providence, Sr., M/D
^Mikayla Michals, Providence, Jr., M/F
Elisa Ruiz Martinez, Quinnipiac, Sr., M
*unanimous selection
2018 BIG EAST Field Hockey Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Connecticut – 49 points (7 first-place votes)
2. Liberty – 43 points (1 first-place vote)
3. Old Dominion – 35 points
4. Providence – 33 points
5. Quinnipiac – 24 points
6. Temple – 17 points
7. Villanova – 15 points
8. Georgetown – 8 points