Nov. 4, 2004

PHILADELPHIA - Saint Joseph's University freshman goalkeeper Rebecca Cunfer has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference's Rookie of the Year in field hockey in voting by the League's coaches. Three other Hawks, junior Katelyn O;Brien and sophomores Nicole Antonini and Lauren Luft were named to the All-Conference First Team in that same voting. Senior Annie Harkins was selcted to the Academic All-Conference Team.

Cunfer is enjoying an outstanding rookie season in goal at SJU. She boasts a 1.31 goals-against average, good for second in the Atlantic 10 and 17th nationally. In 1,072 minutes of play, she registered six shutouts on the season, the most by a Hawk freshman since 1985. She is a two-time Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week selection and helped her team earn a No. 3 seed in the A-10 Championship.

Richmond junior forward Holly Cram and junior teammate Allie Howard were named the 2004 Atlantic 10 Field Hockey Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, UR's Ange Bradley was named Coach of the Year and Spider senior Michelle Swartz was named Student-Athlete of the Year.

Joining Cram and Howard on the All-Conference first-team are teammates Laura Hur and Michelle La Force; Caitlin Beresin, Adrianne Monaco and Christine Tocco of Massachusetts; La Salle's Sara Camilli and Allison Geiger; Joy Hess and Kelly Johnson of Rhode Island; and Temple's Lindsay Holman and Talia Ruth, along with Antonini, Luft and O'Brien.

Along with Swartz and Harkins, the Academic All-Conference field hockey team consists of Allison Geiger and Brandi Reed of La Salle; Jaime Bawden, Caitlin Beresin, Adrianne Monaco and Katelyn Woolfrey of Massachusetts; Rhode Island's Amy Brown and Joy Hess; and West Chester's Kelly Olinger.