Nov. 19, 2009

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Boston College senior forward Chelsey Feole, Maryland junior forward Katie O’Donnell, and Virginia sophomore midfielder Paige Selenski were named players of the year for their respective regions announced today by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. A total of 38 student-athletes from the Atlantic Coast Conference were named to five all-region teams, including 15 who were named to the 16-member All-South Region first team.

The ACC’s 37 players named to a first or second-team all-region squads are 16 more picks than the Big Ten Conference, which has 21 selections. Following the ACC and Big Ten are the Big East Conference (18), Colonial Athletic Association (17), Ivy League (17), and America East Conference (13), among leagues with more than 10 picks.

Selected as the Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year, the honor is O’Donnell’s third major award in 2009. She was the ACC Championship’s most valuable player, in addition to be named ACC Offensive Player of the Year, becoming the first three-time winner of the award. Feole and Selenski were both All-ACC team members in 2009 and were named to the ACC All-Tournament team following the championship game.

In addition to O’Donnell, Maryland boasts five others named to the Mid-Atlantic Region first team, and another player on the second team. In the Northeast Region, two more Eagles, in addition to Feole, were named to the first team, and two more on the second team.

North Carolina (6), Virginia (3), Wake Forest (3), and Duke (3), combined for 15 of a possible 16 first-team selections in the South Region. Additionally, four more Tar Heels were second-team picks, while Duke, Virginia, and Wake Forest boast two second-team picks apiece.

The announcement comes just one day before the start of the 2009 NCAA Field Hockey Championship semifinals, hosted by Wake Forest at Kentner Field in Winston-Salem, N.C. The first game will pit top-ranked (NFHCA) Maryland (22-0, 5-0 ACC) against fourth-ranked Princeton (16-2, 7-0 Ivy) at 2 p.m. Maryland is making its second consecutive appearance in the national semifinals and 13th overall, and carries an 8-4 semifinal-round record into next Friday’s contest. Earlier this season, Maryland beat the Tigers in overtime, 3-2, on October 7 in College Park.

The second game will begin at approximately 4:30 p.m. and will feature North Carolina and Virginia, who will be facing off for the third time in 2009, with each team winning once this season. North Carolina won the first meeting, a 2-1 overtime decision on October 17 at Turf Field in Charlottesville, Va., but Virginia took the rematch, 1-0, in the ACC Championship semifinals.

The Tar Heels are 10-2 all time in national semifinal games, while Virginia is making its third all-time appearance in the semifinals, and first under fourth-year head coach Michele Madison. The Cavaliers lost to Old Dominion in its only two semifinal appearances: 3-2 in 1997 and 3-0 in 1998.

More information on ACC field hockey can be accessed by visiting theACC.com. All 2009 ACC Field Hockey Championship information can be found on the official championship website, www.theacc.com/championships/09-fh-championship.html.