The DIII NCAA Field Hockey Tournament begins on Wednesday as 10 teams begin their quest for a national title.
The top seeds are Salisbury, Middlebury, Babson, Rowan, John Hopkins, and Messiah. Each earned a first-round bye. They play on Saturday.
From shutdown defenses to electric offenses, these players have played an important role in their team being successful thus far.
Here are FAN’s Players to Watch:
Georgia Eson – University of New England
The junior midfielder has started all 20 games so far this season for the University of New England. The Pittsburg, Pa. native has logged 1,192 minutes in the midfield and helped anchor a defense that allowed 1.70 goals per game.
Liz Fox – Rowan
Fox started in 19 of 20 contests for the 19-1 Profs, who won their second straight NJAC title. The senior midfielder from Green Lane, Pa. led the team with 11 assists, including a four-assist game earlier in this season. Her 11 assists and 17 points are a career best.
Hannah Huffman – York College of PA
The Cumberland Valley alum has started all 20 games so far this season for the Spartans. The senior forward has tallied five goals and five assists for 15 points, which ranks fourth on the team. Huffman has logged 935 minutes on the forward line so far this season.
Hannah Johnson – Salisbury
The sophomore back from Lincoln University, Pa. has started all 17 games so far this season for the No. 1 ranked Seagulls. Johnson anchored a defense that only allowed 11 goals this season, averaging 0.65 goals per game. Fox has registered one assist so far this season and logged 977 minutes.
Mallory Kline – Messiah
The Stevens Pa. native has appeared in all 18 games this season for Messiah. The freshman forward ranks second on the team with 11 goals and 2 assists for 24 points, while leading the team with five game-winning goals. Kline enters the NCAA Tournament with a goal in her last three of four games.
Abby Mateer – Rochester
The former Palmyra defender has appeared in all 21 games for Rochester so far this season. The freshman has logged 969 minutes so far and has been instrumental in defense that has only allowed 1.24 goals per game.
Molly McEvoy – Catholic
The senior midfielder from Berwyn, Pa. leads the Cardinals with 14 goals and 33 points. McEvoy earned All-Landmark first team honors for her career year. She scored the final goal in Catholic’s 4-2 win over Moravian for the Landmark Conference Championship.
Paige Ney – Wilson
The Biglerville Pa. native earned All-CSAC honors after leading the Phoenix with 13 goals in her freshman campaign. Ney also led with four game-winning goals and has scored a goal in her last five of seven games.
Jordyne Stong – DeSales
The freshman forward appeared in all 19 games so far this season. The Perkiomen Valley alum ranked third on the team in scoring with nine goals and six assists for 24 points. Stong enters the NCAA Tournament on a five-game point streak.
Siena Urbanski – John Hopkins
The Chester Springs, Pa. native ranks second on the Blue Jays in scoring with 13 goals and five assists for 31 points, along with four game-winning goals. The senior earned Second Team All-Centennial Honors for her career-best season. She ranks fifth in the Centennial in points and ninth in assists.
