SCAC Announces 2010 All-SCAC Field Hockey Team

SCAC Announces 2010 All-SCAC Field Hockey Team

SUWANEE, Ga. – DePauw University’s Margaret Ellis, after her record-breaking season, was tabbed as SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year, and Rhodes College’s Sarah Dockery, whose work in goal helped lead the Lynx to the 2010 conference tournament title, was selected SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Year in exclusive voting by the league’s head field hockey coaches.

In balloting for the remaining major awards, Chelsea Cutler of DePauw and Chelsea Klein of Centre College split the vote to share SCAC Newcomer-of-the-Year honors, and Jane Wells of Rhodes was voted SCAC Coach-of-the-Year for the second consecutive year.

Ellis (pictured left), a sophomore forward from St. Louis, Mo., shattered most SCAC single-season scoring records this season, including points (51), points per game (2.55), goals (24) and goals per game (1.20) after transferring to DePauw from the University of Richmond. She scored and/or had an assist in all but three of the Tigers’ games, and netted six game-winning goals. In addition to creating scoring opportunities inside the circle, Ellis also led the Tigers in offensive transition through her elimination skills, passing ability and speed. Her decision-making skills and ability to take a variety of shots made her a threat every time she received the ball. A three-time SCAC Player-of-the-Week during the regular season, Ellis’ ranked 11th in the Division III in goals per game and 22nd in points per game.

Rhodes’ Dockery (pictured right), a senior from Dallas, Texas, has been huge for the Lynx this fall. Academically a senior, this was her first year on the team after playing two spring seasons for Rhodes. She finished the regular season with a 0.92 goals against average and leads the SCAC and is second in the nation in save percentage at .889. Dockery, who had many game-changing saves for the Lynx during the 2010 season, recorded five shutouts en route to the teams’ SCAC championship run. The SCAC Defensive Player-of-the-Week in Week 5, she came up even bigger in conference play, leading the SCAC in goals-against average (0.47), shutouts (4), and save percentage (.914).

Cutler of DePauw (pictured left), a first-year forward/midfielder from Victoria, British Columbia, scored three goals and added an assist for the Tigers. At the beginning of the season, Cutler played forward but moved to mid-field (left side) toward the end of the year because of her ability to help the team transition the ball from defense to offense. Cutler’s versatility allowed her to play on both offensive and defensive corners, as she possessed the ability to score as well as make a defensive save when needed.

Klein of Centre (pictured right), a first-year forward from Louisville, Ky., made an immediate impact for the Colonels in 2010, as her speed and skill down the left side created a number of scoring chances and penalty corners. Additionally, Klein combined her individual skill with some superior finishing in the circle to post a team-leading 10 goals (third in the SCAC). She also ranked in the top 10 in the league in points (24 - third), points per game (1.50 - third), goals per game (0.62 - third), assists (four - eighth), assists per game (0.25 - eighth), and game-winning goals (two - fourth).

Jane Wells (pictured left) led Rhodes to a 17-1 overall mark, the best record in school history, and a perfect 8-0 conference record – the first school in league history to navigate the regular season without a conference loss. On Monday, the Lynx received an at-large berth into the 2010 NCAA Division III Field Hockey Tournament and, after receiving a first-round bye, will face the winner of Salisbury and Mary Washington on Saturday at Messiah College.

Rhodes’ record 17 wins include two victories and a tournament title at the 2010 SCAC Field Hockey Championships – the fourth conference championship for the Rhodes’ program (the third under Wells’ leadership). No other SCAC program has more than one field hockey tournament title since the league granted the sport official status in 2004. In six years at the helm of the Lynx, Wells sports an overall mark of 70-37 (34-10 in SCAC play) and is the winningest coach in the history of the conference.

Earlier this week, Rhodes became the first school in league history to achieve a top 20 ranking in the Kookaburra / NFHCA Division III National Coaches Poll, coming in at 20th.

To view the complete 2010 All-SCAC Field Hockey release, click here.