Field hockey earns major conference accolades

Photo (from left): Allison Gold ’16, Abigail Tepper ’16 and Jennifer Foster

The Commonwealth Coast Conference has named Abigail Tepper ’16 offensive player of the year, Allison Gold ’16 defensive player of the year and Jennifer Foster coach of the year for field hockey.

Joining Tepper and Gold on the all-conference teams are Marissa Gagnon ’16 (second team), Erin Gendreau ’17 (second team), Lindsey Mazzola ’16 (first team) and Jessie Severino ’18 (second team).

“To have six players named to an all-conference team, with two of those being named player of the year at their respective position, is not only an honor for those individual players but also our entire team,” Foster said. “Without each other, no individual player’s success would be possible.”

Tepper enters the conference championship as the most prolific scorer in Salve Regina history, holding program records with 67 goals and 153 total points. This season, she has recorded a career-high 28 goals and 64 total points. Tepper, who ranks third among all Division III players with 1.47 goals and 3.37 points per game, leads the conference in goals, points and game-winning goals (6).

Gold has anchored a Salve Regina defense that concluded the regular season tied for fewest goals allowed in the conference, as the Seahawks have permitted just 27 goals in 19 games played. Her solid play on defense is a large reason that Seahawk goaltenders currently rank 38th in all of Division III with a 1.42 goals against average.

In Foster’s ninth year guiding the Seahawks, Salve Regina earned the second seed in the conference tournament after posting a 16-3 regular season record, which includes a 10-2 mark in conference play. In 2015, the Seahawks have scored a conference-high 89 goals while tying for the league lead with a conference-low 27 goals allowed.

Salve Regina will host No. 3 seed Endicott College in the opening round of the conference championship at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4 at Gaudet Field.