Nov. 19, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. - Maryland senior attacker Katie O'Donnell and North Carolina sophomore midfielder Kelsey Kolojejchick have been recognized as 2010 Division I Regional Players of the Year in their respective regions, as announced by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association today. They are among 36 Atlantic Coast Conference student-athletes honored on the NFHCA Division I All-Region Teams, which were announced Thursday.

Of the 36 honorees, 22 were first-team selections and 14 were second team. Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia led the league with a combined seven selections each. Wake Forest had six total selections, followed by five from Duke, and four from Boston College.

The Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year honor marks O'Donnell's fourth major award in 2010. She was named the ACC Offensive Player of the Year earlier this month, becoming just the third league athlete to garner player of the year recognition for four consecutive years. O'Donnell was also selected MVP of the ACC Championship and was honored by the Women's Sports Foundation in October as the 2010 Sportswoman of the Year. She became the first field hockey athlete to receive the award. O'Donnell is the conference's career leader in points and assists.

Kolojejchick, the South Region Player of the Year, is coming off a 2010 campaign where she led North Carolina in goals (15) and points (38). She tallied six game-winning goals on the season. The 2009 Freshman of the Year picked up All-ACC honors for the second-straight season.

O'Donnell is joined by four fellow Terps on the Mid-Atlantic Region first team and two on the second team. Four Tar Heels join Kolojejchick on the South Region first team and two on the second.

North Carolina (5), Virginia (4), Wake Forest (3), and Duke (2) combined to give the ACC 14 of the possible 16 first-team selections in the South Region. The league had 11 student-athletes named to the South Region Second Team, including three each from Duke, Virginia, and Wake Forest, along with two from North Carolina.

Boston College's four selections represent the ACC in the Northeast Region with three on the first team and one on the second.

The announcements come on the eve of the 2010 NCAA Field Hockey Championship semifinals, hosted by Maryland at the Field Hockey and Lacrosse Complex in College Park, Md. The first game today is a rematch of last year's national semifinals as No. 2 ranked North Carolina (21-2, 4-1 ACC) faces No. 3 Virginia (18-3, 3-2 ACC) at 2 p.m. The Tar Heels have won three straight against the Cavaliers, claiming both matchups this season, including a 3-2 decision during the regular season and a 1-0 overtime win in the 2010 ACC Championship semifinals. UNC defeated Virginia in last year's semifinals, 3-2, and went on to clinch its sixth national title. The Tar Heels have appeared in the semifinals 13 times and hold an 11-2 record, while Virginia has reached the round of four three times. The Cavaliers look to reach the championship game for the first time in program history.

The second game is scheduled for 4:30 p.m., and will feature top-ranked Maryland (21-1, 5-0 ACC) taking on No. 7 Ohio State (18-4, 5-1 Big Ten). The Terps are making their 14th appearance in the semifinals where they hold a 9-4 record and are seeking their 10th trip to the championship game. Maryland fell to North Carolina last season in the final by a score of 3-2. The Terps have won six national titles, with their last coming in 2008. The Buckeyes are making their sixth trip to the NCAA tournament and hold a 3-5 mark. This is their first appearance in the semifinals. Ohio State posted a program-best 18 wins this season.

More information on ACC field hockey can be accessed by visiting theACC.com.

ACC in the 2010 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I All-Region First Teams

Name	School	Region
Jana Anctil	Boston College	Northeast
Friderike Hauschildt	Boston College	Northeast
Emily Kozinuk	Boston College	Northeast
Tara Jennings	Duke	South
Rhian Jones	Duke	South
Jemma Buckley	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Megan Frazer	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Katie O'Donnell	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Harriet Tibble	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Jill Witmer	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Elizabeth Drazdowski	North Carolina	South
Jackie Kintzer	North Carolina	South
Kelsey Kolojejchick	North Carolina	South
Marta Malmberg	North Carolina	South
Caitlin Van Sickle	North Carolina	South
Elly Buckley	Virginia	South
Rachel Jennings	Virginia	South
Paige Selenski	Virginia	South
Michelle Vittese	Virginia	South
Emily Cummings	Wake Forest	South
Lauren Greenwald	Wake Forest	South
Lizzie Rae	Wake Forest	South

ACC in the 2010 National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I All-Region Second Teams

Name	School	Region
Paige Norris	Boston College	Northeast
Susan Ferger	Duke	South
Emmie Le Marchand	Duke	South
Samantha Nelson	Duke	South
Lauren Barr	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Alicia Morawski	Maryland	Mid-Atlantic
Meghan Dawson	North Carolina	South
Jaclyn Gaudioso Radvany	North Carolina	South
Haley Carpenter	Virginia	South
Kim Kastuk	Virginia	South
Tara Puffenberger	Virginia	South
Liza Casella	Wake Forest	South
Molly Murphy	Wake Forest	South
Kaitlin Piosa	Wake Forest	South