NFHCA names four Lyon field hockey players to Division III National Academic Squad

March 9, 2007

NORTON, MA- Four Wheaton College field hockey players earned 2006 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III National Academic Squad honors, as announced by NFHCA Executive Director Jennifer Goodrich.

Honorees must follow a certain criteria to qualify for the individual national academic award, including having a minimum cumulative grade-point average of 3.3 or better through the first semester of the 2006-07 academic year.

Senior Shea Clarke (Bellingham, MA/Bellingham) and junior Lyndsie Ryalls (Branford, CT/Branford) were recognized for the third consecutive year, while sophomore Lauren Henderson (Marblehead, MA/Newman School) picked up her second honor. Classmate Alisa Ardito (Branford, CT/Branford) was named to the squad for the first time.

Clarke, who played in the NFHCA Division III Senior All-Star game after being named to the NFHCA New England East Region's second team, earned New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) All-Academic accolades earlier this year. Becoming the program's all-time games and assists leader last fall, Clarke scored four goals and handed out 10 assists in 22 starts in the backfield.

Ardito and Ryalls were each named to the NFHCA All-New England East Region and NEWMAC All-Conference second squads, with Ryalls also garnering academic all-conference laurels. Ryalls contributed six goals and six assists in the fall, while Ardito sent in five tallies with 10 helpers, tying Clarke for the second-most assists in a Wheaton season. Henderson scored four times in 21 games to help the Lyons to a program-best 59 goals.

These four players helped Wheaton break the team's all-time wins record with 15, as the Blue and White went 15-8 overall and 5-3 in league play. The Lyons advanced to the conference tournament semifinals for the first time since 1997 and made it to their inaugural Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Tournament championship game after qualifying for the ECACs for the first time in 11 seasons.

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