Joyce Named to Field Hockey All-American Teams
KEENE, N.H. 11/20/06 - Sara Joyce capped her Keene State field hockey career by earning All-America honors on a pair of teams announced on Monday. Joyce, a senior goalie from Hampstead, N.H., was named to the womensfieldhockey.com second team and was a third-team selection by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).
Karen Robinson, a freshman forward from Barre, Mass., was also named to the womenfieldhockey.com All-Rookie team.
Joyce found out about the honor from an unexpected source. “My mom called me this morning,” Joyce said. “When I found out, I was surprised and excited.”
“Sara is very deserving of the honor,” said Keene State Coach Amy Watson. “She is a hard worker, a tenacious competitor, and a huge part of our success this season.”
“I worked real hard during the summer to get ready for the season,” Joyce said. “I wanted to end my career with a super season and it paid off.”
One of the top goalies in Division III, Joyce completed her final season with a 1.29 GAA, .895 save percentage, and nine shutouts. She is second in wins (43), third in GAA (1.20), shutouts (19), and save pct. (.864) on KSC’s all- time lists.
Joyce credits her teammates for helping her get the honor. “We lost some of our top defenders last year, so I was concerned how we’d adjust,” said Joyce, who shined down the stretch, posting seven shutouts in a late-season 13 game winning streak. “But a lot of people stepped up and they did a great job in front of me.”
Joyce helped the Owls (18-5) earn their third straight Little East championship and NCAA tournament berth this fall. “I loved playing against the top teams like Middlebury,” she said. “I like the challenge of trying to stop their top players.”
Joyce is the 11th KSC field hockey player to earn All-American honors.
Robinson had a fantastic freshman season for the Owls with eight goals, eight assists, and 24 points. Robinson, who collected a goal and an assist in the LEC finals against UMass-Dartmouth, was named the tournament’s MVP.
