WINTHROP, Mass. – Junior forward Anna Tedeschi headlined four members of the Simmons field hockey program selected to the 2023 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) All-Conference Team announced Wednesday afternoon.
Ranked sixth in the nation in goals per game, Tedeschi became the 17th player in program history to receive All-Conference first team recognition. Leading the Sharks with 22 goals, the Hanover, Massachusetts native registered six multiple goal games, including six game-winning goals. Early in the season in a 4-0 shutout against Clark University, Tedeschi surpassed her career single-game best, scoring four goals against the Cougars.
For the second straight year, junior forward Sydney Gonyea found herself ranked sixth in the nation in assists per game. Averaging over an assist per game, Gonyea was earned All-GNAC second team honors after dishing out 16 assists. Late in the season, the New Hampshire native recorded a trio of hat tricks in the Sharks final six games of the season – against GNAC foes Elms College, Regis College and Saint Joseph's College of Maine.
Joining Gonyea on the All-GNAC second was fellow captain and classmate junior defender Alison Michalik. Anchoring a Sharks defense that finished the season 25th in the nation with seven shutouts, Michalik earned all-conference honors for the first time her collegiate career. Additionally, in a 7-0 shutout against Dean College she picked up her first collegiate career assist, then six days later added her second assist against Saint Joseph's College of Maine.
Fellow junior Emilia Elko rounded out the Sharks earning All-Conference second team honors. Registering a career single-season best four assists, Elko also scored four goals over the course of the 17-game season, including the game-winner in 3-1 victory over the University of St. Joseph (Conn.) in mid-September.
First-year Ava Kahl, who recorded six goals on the season, including the game-winning goal against Fitchburg State, headlined a trio of Simmons first-years named to the GNAC All-Rookie Team. Fellow classmates, first-years Emma Fissel and Lilly Taglier also earned All-Rookie Team recognition.
In addition, sophomore Ainslee Shrout was named to the GNAC All-Sportsmanship Team.