GILBERT, Ariz. — Six student-athletes were selected to represent their respective region as the First Point USA/NFHCA Division III Regional Player of the Year.
Great Lakes Region Player of the Year
Caroline Brotzge, Centre College, Sr., Midfielder (Louisville, Kentucky)
Brotzge has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA Great Lakes Region Player of the Year for 2019. The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Defensive Player of the Year was essential on both sides of the ball in Centre College’s historic 18-1 season. She finished the season with 38 points on 10 goals and 18 assists. Her 18 assists ranked third in the nation and set a new record at Centre and in the SAA.
In addition to being named to the All-SAA First Team, Brotzge was a Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division III Senior Game participant and was selected to the Longstreth/NFHCA Great Lakes Region First Team earlier this week.
New England East Region Player of the Year
Kristen McCarthy, Endicott College, Sr., Forward (Danvers, Massachusetts)
McCarthy, the two-time Commonwealth Coast Conference (CCC) Offensive Player of the Year, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA New England East Region Player of the Year.
McCarthy had a standout year offensively, leading the Gulls in every scoring category. She finished her senior campaign with 23 goals and 11 assists for 57 points, helping her get to 100-career points this season. In addition to being named All-CCC First Team, she was a Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division III Senior Game participant and was selected to the Longstreth/NFHCA New England East Region First Team earlier this week.
New England West Region Player of the Year
Erin Nicholas, Middlebury College, Jr., Midfielder (Scarsdale, New York)
Nicholas, the 2019 NCAA National Championship Tournament’s Most Outstanding Player, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA New England West Region Player of the Year.
This recognition is the most recent in a slew of awards for Nicholas, who — in addition to being crowned a 2019 NCAA National Champion — was also named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year, was selected to the All-NESCAC First Team, and was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA New England West Region First Team earlier this week. Nicholas finished her junior campaign with 10 goals and six assists for 26 points.
North Atlantic Region Player of the Year
Morgan Mullen, Ithaca College, So., Forward (Cherryville, Pennsylvania)
Mullen, the Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Year, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA North Atlantic Region Player of the Year.
At the end of Ithaca’s 2019 campaign, Mullen led the Bombers in goals (14) and points (30) — she also recorded four game-winning goals for Ithaca this season. She tied for first in most goals in the Liberty League this season and was selected to the All-Liberty League First Team. Earlier this week, she was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA North Atlantic Region First Team.
South Atlantic Region Player of the Year
Kayla Peterson, The College of New Jersey, Sr., Midfielder (Cream Ridge, New Jersey)
Peterson, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Midfielder of the Year, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA South Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Peterson finished her senior season with eight goals and 16 assists for 32 points and, as a member of TCNJ’s defensive penalty corner unit, contributed to eight shutouts this season.
In addition to being selected to the NJAC All-Conference First Team for the third-consecutive year, she was also named to the Longstreth/NFHCA South Atlantic Region First Team for the second-consecutive year.
South Region Player of the Year
Melissa Gula, Franklin & Marshall College, Sr., Midfielder (Short Hills, New Jersey)
Gula has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA South Region Player of the Year after being named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year and landing on the All-CC First Team last month.
Gula was essential on both sides of the ball for the 2019 National Champion runners-up, Franklin & Marshall College. She was a part of a Diplomat defense that ranked 13th nationally in goals against average (.083) and offensively she contributed 16 points this year with five goals and six assists. Earlier this week, Gula was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA South Region First Team.
The First Point USA/NFHCA Division III Regional Player of the Year announcement is the second in a list of postseason awards from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Earlier this week the 2019 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-Region teams were announced and next to be released are Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-American Teams (December 11) and the First Point USA/NFHCA Division III National Player of the Year (December 16).