LONG BRANCH, NJ – Monmouth University junior Casey Hanna (Seaville, NJ/Ocean City) was named the 2015 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year and sophomore Christen Piersanti (Bridgewater, NJ/Bridgewater-Raritan) earned the MAAC Co-Goalkeeper of the Year as six total Hawks earned all-league honors, announced at the pre-championship banquet Thursday night at The Ocean Place. Monmouth, the MAAC Regular Season Co-Champions and top-seed in this weekend's MAAC Championship, landed five players on the All-MAAC First Team, its most on the first team in program history.
Joining Hanna and Piersanti on the All-MAAC First Team are senior Cori Allen (Gibbsboro, NJ/Eastern Regional [Iowa]), junior Alyssa Ercolino (West Long Branch, NJ/Shore Regional) and sophomore Meg Donahue (Wyomissing, PA/Berks Catholic), while second-year Hawk Sydney Southard (Lorton, VA/South County) is MU's lone representative on the All-MAAC Second Team.
The Monmouth program has been home to the league's defensive player of the year for three straight seasons as Hanna claimed her second-consecutive honor. Hanna, who makes a repeat appearance on the All-MAAC First Team, excelled on the back line again this season, compiling a team-leading four defensive saves and was lauded as the league's defensive player of the week on three different occasions. Hanna also got into the scoring mix this year, recording eight points on a pair of goals and four assists.
Piersanti, who shares the honor with Siena's Mary Drabich, becomes the first Hawk in program history to earn Goalkeeper of the Year honors and earns her first career all-league nod. The keeper has played all 1,262 minutes in cage this season logging a 2.33 goals against average, 80 saves and a .656 save percentage with one shutout, blanking Bryant for her 20th career victory. Piersanti recorded more than five saves on six different occasions, highlighted by a 20-save performance at Northeastern. The Bridgewater, NJ native has a career 11-2 record against MAAC foes, including a 2-0 mark in the MAAC Championship.
Allen makes her second-straight appearance on the All-MAAC First Team. The senior, who has started every game in a Monmouth uniform the last two seasons, leads the team with nine goals, and dished out three helpers to compile a team-leading 21 points. The tri-captain, who is a perfect 3-for-3 in penalty strokes while with MU, has three game-winning goals, while contributing on the other end with a defensive save.
Making her second appearance on an All-MAAC Team, her first on the first team, Ercolino had a break-out year for the Blue and White. The local product recorded career-bests in both goals (7) and points (18). Ercolino, who has started all 57 career games, scored in back-to-back games against Towson and Northeastern. The midfielder entered the season with one multi-goal game to her credit and posted back-to-back two-goal games against Sacred Heart and Quinnipiac, earning MAAC Offensive Player of the Week. Ercolino has also contributed on the defensive end of the field, recording three defensive saves.
Donahue lands on the first team after debuting last year on the second team. The 2014 MAAC Rookie of the Year started all 18 games on the forward line this season, compiling 15 points on four goals, including the game-winning marker at Bryant, and seven assists. Donahue recorded a season-high four points in the Hawks' first win of the season against Lehigh, scoring a goal and assisting on two others.
Southard earns her second-consecutive second team nod. The defender played in 16 games on the year, earning a start in 11 games, including the last seven contests. The second-year Hawk recorded a defensive save, the first of her career, in the victory over Rider. Southard also recorded three shots on the opposite side of the field.
In addition to the all-league awards being announced, the conference announced its All-Academic Team, which featured seven Hawks. To be honored, student-athletes must complete two semesters at their institution and hold a cumulative grade point average of 3.20 on a 4.0 scale. Allen, Ercolino, Hanna, along with senior Lauren Horner (Shnecksville, PA/Northwestern Lehigh) and sophomores Rachel Konowal (Plymouth Meeting, PA/Plymouth Whitemarsh), Mallory Kusakavtich (Pittston, PA/Holy Redeemer) and Lauren Fried (Millerstown, PA/Greenwood) were lauded for their academic success.
Top-seeded Monmouth opens up the MAAC Championship at 11 a.m. when it takes on fourth-seeded Fairfield, broadcasted live on MAAC.TV. The winner will take on the victor of the other semifinal game between No. 2 Quinnipiac and No. 3 Rider for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.
-@MonmouthFH-
