GENEVA, N.Y. -- For the second time during her standout career,
Abby Asuncion has been named the Region VI Player of the Year by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association after she orchestrated a record-setting season at Christopher Newport during the 2023 campaign.
Previously, Asuncion was named the Region Player of the Year in 2021. Making history with her second award, she became the first Captain to earn the honor twice. In fact, she became just the 18th standout in the history of Division III field hockey to secure a pair of Regional Player of the Year awards and only the second to accomplish that feat in Region VI.
Adding even more luster to her accomplishment, Asuncion became just the eighth student-athlete in Christopher Newport history to be named the Region Player of the Year twice. In that illustrious group, she joined former women's basketball legend Chelsie Schweers, cross country star Grayson Reid, and track & field standouts Casey Taylor, Dominique Torres, Enuma Ezenwa, Dira Hansen, and Richard Roethel.
The Regional award joined an ever-growing list of honors for the fifth-year phenom. Earlier this season, she was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Player of the Year while garnering first-team All-League and All-Region citations. Additionally, she was named to the conference's All-Tournament team for her performance in the playoffs as well.
Earning universal acclaim, Asuncion put on a masterclass during her final season at Christopher Newport. Torching the opposition, she led the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference with 33 points. Meanwhile, her 14 goals placed her second among league competitors and equaled the eighth-most by a Captain in program history.
A consistent threat on the offensive end, Asuncion recorded at least one point in 13 of her 17 appearances. Among her highlights, she produced four multi-goal efforts, including a pair of daggers at Mary Washington on October 28, which locked up the regular season league championship. One week later, she helped secure the tournament crown as well after burying a second-half missile against No. 6 Salisbury in the conference title bout.
Stepping up against top-20 competition throughout the year, Asuncion also landed a blow against the nationally-ranked Sea Gulls in the regular season on October 18 after capitalizing in a win over No. 11 Kean on September 30. Additionally, she dished out a pair of assists against No. 19 Franklin & Marshall on September 3.
For her work during the year, she was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week on September 11 and October 17.
Although she hauled in awards for her work on the offensive side of the field, Asuncion was equally effective on the other end. During the year, she continued to serve as a flyer on the squad's elite penalty corner defense, which successfully squashed 98 percent of the opposition's attempts in 2023.
On an individual level, the Sterling, Virginia native ranked second on the team with seven blocked shots. Fittingly, four of her deflections came against nationally-ranked competition, including two second-half stops during CNU's 3-2 triumph over No. 11 Kean in September.
Aided by her work during the year, Asuncion rewrote the program record books. During the season, she became Christopher Newport's career leader with 125 points, 52 goals, and 14 game-winners. Her 21 assists also rank fifth on the all-time charts, while her 74 starts are the third-most by a Captain.
A two-time NFHCA All-American, she is also a four-time first-team All-Conference and All-Region selection.
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