Salisbury's Johnston Named Player of the Year to Lead 2019 All-CAC Field Hockey Teams
CAC -- Capital Athletic Conference champion Salisbury swept the top two awards and place a conference-leading nine players on the 2019 All-CAC team. Sea Gull senior midfield Arielle Johnston claimed CAC Player of the Year honors, while her teammate senior back Jillian Hughes garnered CAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades.
Johnston becomes the fourth straight and 18th Salisbury player overall to win the conference's top honor as CAC Player of the Year. The senior, who was also named an All-CAC first team selection for the second straight year, has posted 10 goals and 10 assists this season on 64 shots to lead the Sea Gulls to an unbeaten 5-0 CAC record.
Hughes rounds out her impressive career as the CAC Defensive Player of the Year after anchoring the Salisbury backfield who allowed just one goal in conference play. Hughes, who earns her third straight first team All-CAC honor, was also the 2018 CAC Player of the Year and the 2016 CAC Rookie of the Year.
Abby Asuncion becomes the third Christopher Newport player to be named CAC Rookie of the Year after Brittan Muir (2015) and Courtney Fiest (2017) also accomplish the feat. Asuncion led the league with nine goals in conference matches and seven game-winning scores overall.
Mary Washington's Meredith LeBel was selected as the sport's inaugural CAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year recipient after the senior defender has posted quite the resume both inside the classroom and on the playing field. A biology major, she has been recognized in the past as part of the NFHCA All Academic Squad and was named a Zag/NFHCA Athlete of Distinction.
Salisbury head coach Dawn Chamberlin and her staff earned CAC Coaching Staff of the Year accolades for the 18th time in her career. She has now earned this recognition 18 times in the 29-year history of the award.
2019 CAC Player of the Year: Arielle Johnston, Salisbury
2019 CAC Defensive Player of the Year: Jillian Hughes, Salisbury
2019 CAC Rookie of the Year: Abby Asuncion, Christopher Newport
2019 CAC Scholar-Athlete of the Year: Meredith LeBel, Mary Washington (Sr., Def., Gloucester, Va.)
2019 CAC Coaching Staff of the Year: Salisbury, led by Dawn Chamberlin (18th time)
2019 All-CAC Field Hockey First Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | TEAM | HOMETOWN/HS | PREVIOUS ALL-CAC HONORS |
| Abby Asuncion | Fr. | For | Christopher Newport | Sterling, Va./Potomac Falls | |
| Tara Daddio | Sr. | For | Salisbury | Magnolia, Del. / Caesar Rodney | 1st in '18 |
| Courtney Fiest | Jr. | For | Christopher Newport | Yorktown, Va./Tabb | 1st in '18, 2nd in '17 |
| Lauren Hopkins | Sr. | For | Mary Washington | Virginia Beach, Va./Kempsville | 1st in '18, 2nd in '17, 1st in '16 |
| Rachel Cooke | Sr. | Mid | Christopher Newport | Vienna, Va./James Madison | 1st in '18, 2nd in '17, 2nd in '16 |
| Sarah Jackson | Sr. | Mid | Salisbury | Forest Hill, Md. / North Harford | 2nd in '18 |
| Arielle Johnston | Sr. | Mid | Salisbury | Crisfield, Md./Crisfield | 1st in '18, 1st in '17 |
| Dana Meehling | Jr. | Mid | York | Monkton, Md./Hereford | 1st in '18, 2nd in '17 |
| Amanda Boclair | Sr. | Back | York | Malvern, Pa. | |
| Lindsey Elgin | Sr. | Back | Salisbury | Chestertown, Md./Kent County | 1st in '18, 1st in '17 |
| Jillian Hughes | Sr. | Back | Salisbury | Andover, Mass./Andover | 1st & POY in '18, 1st in '17, 1st & ROY in '16 |
| Bailey Miller | Sr. | Back | Christopher Newport | Glouchester, Va. | |
| Dom Farrace | Jr. | GK | Salisbury | Pocomoke, Md. |
2019 All-CAC Field Hockey Second Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | TEAM | HOMETOWN/HS | PREVIOUS ALL-CAC HONORS |
| Meghan Jolikko | Sr. | For | Salisbury | Middletown, Del./Middletown | |
| Celina Kaufman | Fy. | For | St. Mary's | Queenstown, Md./Kent Island | |
| McKenzie Mitchell | So. | For | Salisbury | Pocomoke, Md. | |
| Abby Piotrowski | Fr. | For | York | Easton, Pa./Northampton | |
| Lexie Dixson | Sr. | Mid | Mary Washington | Landenberg, Pa./Avon Grove | 2nd in '18, 2nd in '17, 2nd in '16 |
| Meghan Heary | Sr. | Mid | York | Chester Springs, Pa./Bishop Shanahan | |
| Meghan Ronan | Jr. | Mid | St. Mary's | Odenton, Md./Arundel | |
| Marcella Sabbagh | Fr. | Mid | Christopher Newport | Lewes, Del./Cape Henlopen | |
| Sophie Carlson | So. | Back | St. Mary's | Churchville, Md./C. Milton Wright | |
| Camryn Dennis | Jr. | Back | Salisbury | Harrington, Del. | |
| Izzy Diz | So. | Back | Christopher Newport | Alexandria, Va. | |
| Jackie Smith | Jr. | Back | Mary Washington | Parsippany, N.J. | |
| Kelbey Egerland | Sr. | GK | St. Mary's | Bel Air, Md. |