Five PSU Field Hockey players named to All-LEC Team

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. - Five members of the Plymouth State University field hockey team have been honored for their outstanding seasons with selection to the 2008 Little East Conference All-Star Team.

            Three Panthers were voted to the All-LEC First Team - senior forward Ashley Gutowski (Conway, N.H./Kennett), junior forward Sarah Smith (Lexington, Mass.) and junior defender Melinda Rozumek (Salem, N.H.), and two were named to the Second Team - junior midfielder Morgan Lemmon (Gilford, N.H./Bishop Brady) and junior defender Cortney Colligan (Brookfield, N.H./Kingswood).  The All-Star team is voted on by the league's 12 head coaches, and was officially announced at the conclusion of the LEC Championship game.

            Gutowski (far left) and Smith (left) are both among the top five scorers in the LEC, Gutowski with 13 goals and 10 assists and Smith with 17 goals and six assists.  They have combined for nearly half of PSU's scoring, and were consistent all season long, each with at least a point in 14 of the 20 games to date.

            Lemmon (right) was recognized for her strong all-around play in the midfield, where she played solid defense and added two goals and an assist to the offense.  She is a three-year starter who provides a veteran presence on the field.

            The backbones of the Panther defense are co-captains Rozumek (below left) and Colligan (below right).  Both three-year starters, they give PSU a solid anchor to the defensive unit.  They were a key part of Plymouth State's eight shutouts this season and allowing only 30 goals in 20 games.

            The season is not over yet for the Panthers, who are expected to receive an ECAC Tournament bid on Monday.  PSU is 13-7 overall after falling to Keene State Saturday in the LEC Championship game.  An ECAC berth would mark the second straight post-season appearance for Plymouth State and the eighth in the last nine years.

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