ASBURY PARK, NJ – The 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Regular Season Champions Monmouth University field hockey team earned three major awards and eight all-league players, announced at the pre-championships banquet Thursday night at McLoone's in Asbury Park.  Senior Julie Laszlo was named the Player of the Year and Co-Defender of the Year for the second-straight season, while Josephine van der Hoop was lauded the Offensive Player of the Year and Tamar Klinkhamer was tabbed as this year's Rookie of the Year.

The Hawks landed a program-best six players on the first team as Kelly Hanna, Meg Donahue, Georgia Garden Bachop joined Laszlo, van der Hoop and Klinkhamer on the first team, while seniors Rachel Konowal and Christen Piersanti represented MU on the second team.

Laszlo, who claimed both awards as a junior, collects the program's sixth player of the year accolade, while West Long Branch has been home to the defensive player of the year five-straight seasons.  The MAAC Preseason Player of the Year selection recorded a program-best 23 assists this season, becoming the first Hawk to eclipse 20 assists in a single-season and leads the country with 1.35 helpers per game.  The Netherlands native added eight goals to enter the postseason with 39 points.  The defender, who has a team-best two defensive saves, also controls one of the best defenses in the league as the Hawks allowed a conference-low 1.29 goals per game, while limiting opponents to a combined 69 shots on goal.

van der Hoop earns her first major award and becomes the Hawks' fourth player to be named the league's offensive player of the year.  The sophomore had a breakout year, registering 12 goals and dishing out five assists to carry 29 points into the postseason.  The three-time offensive player of the week has one game-winning goal to her credit and three multi-goal games, including a hat trick in the victory over Brown.     

Klinkhamer becomes the Hawks' third Rookie of the Year and first since Donahue earned the distinction in 2014.  After battling injury to start the season, the freshman defender made an immediate impact on both sides of the field.  The three-time MAAC Rookie of the Week started all 12 of her games and helped control the Hawks' nationally lauded defensive unit, while contributing on the attack, scoring six goals including three game-winners, while assisting on two other goals.  

Donahue makes her fourth appearance on the all-league team.  The senior started all 17 games this season and recorded 20 points on the strength of seven goals and six assists.  Donahue, who is two-for-two in penalty strokes this year, has one game-winning goal to her credit.  The Wyomissing, PA native will graduate top-three all-time in goals and top-five in assists and points.

Hanna makes her first appearance on the All-MAAC team after having a big year offensively.  The second-year Hawk started all 17 games on the forward line, scoring 14 times, while assisting on six others for 34 points.  Hanna, who has two game-winning goals, has four multi-goal games including hat tricks at Bucknell and at Siena.

Making her first appearance on an all-league team, Garden Bachop has started all 17 games, helping control the midfield while contributing to the defensive efforts.  The junior has a career-best 10 goals, including a game-winner in the overtime victory over Indiana, and four assist for 24 points.    

A mainstay in the Hawks' midfield over her four years, Konowal captures the first league honor of her career.  Having a strong senior campaign, she has career highs in goals (6), assists (10) and points (22).  For her career, she has 10 markers, 18 helpers and 38 points, while recording two defensive saves as part of the defensive corner unit in 76 games.

Piersanti started the 16 games she saw action in, logging over 1100 minutes this year.  The fifth-year senior has 39 saves, a 1.22 goals against average to go along with a .661 save percentage.  Piersanti, who captured her 50th career victory in the win over Rider, has five clean sheets this year to increase her career shutout total to 18.

In addition to the all-league awards being announced, the conference announced its All-Academic Team, which featured nine 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.  Donahue, Garden Bachop, Hanna, Konowal, Stefanie Bigler, Annie Deusch, Gab Girardi, Mallory Kusakavitch, and Elyssa Okken were all lauded for their academic success.

Top-seeded Monmouth opens up the MAAC Championship at 3 p.m. when it takes on fourth-seeded Rider, broadcasted live on MAAC.TV. The winner will take on the victor of the other semifinal game between No. 2 LIU Brooklyn and No. 3 Fairfield for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.  The title game is will be broadcast live on ESPN3 at noon on Sunday, November 5th. 

-@MonmouthFH-