With the selections by the NHIAA for All-State players coming out earlier in the week, it wasn’t surprising that our local players were well represented in Division 3 field hockey.
There were eight locals honored in Division 3, with five making the first team and three more being named to the second team.
D-III First Team: Marissa Pickman (Kearsarge), Jordan Pollard (Kearsarge), Selena Coronis (Newport), Eliza Bates (Newport), Hailey LaClair (Stevens).
D-III Second Team: Chase Lennon (Kearsarge), Megan Howard (Newport), Brianna Frisbee (Stevens).
Having played just three seasons, Howard stepped up big time for the Newport Tigers in her senior year. “She was the 2018 Defensive MVP,” said Newport head coach Steve Christensen. “… She solidified our strength in the middle of the field and was well respected amongst her teammates.”
The Tigers’ other senior, Coronis, made the First Team after her scrappy play in the middle of Newport’s offensive attack. “She’s a born leader,” said coach Christensen. “She received the 2018 Coaches Award for her dedication to our program which went above and beyond what was expected… she was the glue that held the team together.”
The youngest Tiger of the three all-stars, Bates is the first sophomore that Christensen has coached that has made an All-State Team. This year, Bates led the team in goals scored and overall scoring. “She was the team’s offensive MVP for 2018,” said Christensen. “The most unselfish player I’ve coached to date.”
Kearsarge also had three All-State players this fall in Pickman, Pollard and Lennon.
Pickman earned her second All-State selection as a junior because of her “work ethic and desire to continuously improve,” said Cougars head coach Dianne Chadwick. “She’s a great teammate who naturally leads from her position and she has a tremendous grit inside the goal.”
Pollard is a senior who has been a team captain for two years. On Pollard, coach Chadwick said, “She has excellent stick skills and field sense, and she was a great playmaker on the field. Jordan elevated her play each year and it will be fun to watch her progress in her college career.”
Lennon was also a captain for the Kearsarge Cougars this fall. “She plays with intensity and heart and does what it takes to get the ball and make plays happen,” said Chadwick. “She’s got speed and a desire for the team to succeed… she was instrumental for us in many ways as a versatile player willing to take whatever position needed. She too plans on playing in college and I look forward to following her during those years.”
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