Five Field Hockey Players Named Regional All-Americans
6/21/1999 8:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
November 17, 1998
College Park, Md.--Senior back Jen Pratt (Greene, N.Y.), sophomore forward Keli Smith (Selinsgrove, Pa.), sophomore midfielder Carla Tagliente (Cortland, N.Y.), sophomore back Molly Kauffman (West Lawn, Pa.) and freshman back Autumn Welsh (Macungie, Pa.) have been named to the Mid Atlantic Region All-America Field Hockey Team. Pratt, Smith and Tagliente were named to the first team, while Kauffman and Welsh were named to the second team.
Pratt earns Regional All-America honors for the fourth consecutive year. She concluded her career at Maryland as the ACC's all-time assist leader, with 71. She also holds the Maryland school records for assists in a season (33, set last year) and career (71). The crowning moment of Pratt's career came last weekend, when she led the Terps to their second-ever ACC championship and was named the ACC Tournament MVP. She has also made the All-ACC team the past two years.
Tagliente makes the Regional All-America first team for the second consecutive season. She led the Terps with 17 goals this season and was named the ACC Player of the Week for Oct. 5-11. Last season, Tagliente was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.
Smith earns Regional All-America honors for the second straight year. She finished second on the Maryland squad with 10 goals this season and was named to the All-ACC team for the first time in her career. Smith was also named the ACC Player of the Week for Sept. 1-7.
Kauffman earns Regional All-America honors for the first time in her career. In her first season as a full-time starter, she scored seven goals and tallied sixteen assists. Her 16 assists this season ranks as the fifth-best single-season total in Maryland history.
Welsh earns Regional All-America honors following her first season at Maryland. She was one of the Terps' most consistent defenders this season and was named the ACC Rookie of the Year.
The Mid Atlantic Region All-America teams are selected by the United States Field Hockey Coaches Association (USFHA). There are 14 teams in the Mid Atlantic Region, including American, Delaware, Drexel, Georgetown, La Salle, Maryland, Monmouth, Pennsylvania, Princeton, Rutgers, St. Joseph's, Temple, Towson and Villanova.
The national All-America teams, which are also selected by the USFHA, will be released next Monday. Last season, Pratt was named a second-team All-American and Tagliente was named to the third team. Pratt was also a third-team selection in 1996.
Maryland (16-6) concluded its season by advancing to the second round of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Virginia 5-1.
