SU's Smeltzer, W&L's Schulmeyer, BC's Dickson also Honored

FOREST, Va. --- Shenandoah University attacker Ashley Cross and SU mentor Ashley Smeltzer picked up two of the major honors as part of the All-ODAC field hockey awards.  Cross was tabbed the ODAC Player of the Year, while Smeltzer was named the ODAC Coach of the Year.  Washington and Lee University defender Noelani Schulmeyer earned ODAC Rookie of the Year recognition.  Bridgewater College senior Colleen Dickson was selected the ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete by the league's sports information directors.

Cross, a junior from Agawam, Mass., led a Shenandoah offense that tied for third in the league with 47 goals scored.  She notched 16 of those tallies, tying for the top spot.  She also posted two assists, helping her to an ODAC-best 34 points.  She recorded at least one point in 12-of-20 games played, collecting four or more points four times including a season-best six points in a win at Washington and Lee.  Cross registered three goals in that contest and two scores on two other occasions, including both of SU's goals in its ODAC semifinal contest against Randolph-Macon.  Cross also serves as the goalkeeper for SU's women's lacrosse program, having earned All-ODAC Second Team honors between the pipes in 2013.

Smeltzer, who just completed her first season guiding Shenandoah's field hockey program, is the second straight winner of the ODAC's top coaching honor from Shenandoah, following Kim Iman-Bianchi in 2012.  Smeltzer led the Hornets to a 10-10 overall record and a 6-2 league mark, which resulted in the second seed and a bye into the semifinals in the ODAC tournament.  Just three years into its ODAC field hockey participation, SU has reached the semifinals each of the past two years.

Schulmeyer, a freshman from Glen Arm, Md., stepped right in to the Generals' defense, playing in all 20 games.  She recorded eight defensive saves on the season, placing fourth in the ODAC.  She got forward into the attack on occasion, chipping in three goals and one assist for seven points.  Schulmeyer's contributions in the regular season final were vital to W&L securing the sixth seed in the ODAC tournament, as she recorded a pair of defensive saves and scored the Generals' second goal in a 3-2 win over Bridgewater.

Dickson, from Virginia Beach, Va., carries a 3.946 grade point average as a Global Studies major with a Music minor.  A perennial member of the Bridgewater Dean's List, Dickson is a member of Alpha Chi, a national scholastic honor society that promotes academic excellence and exemplary character.  She's also a NFHCA Scholar-Athlete of Distinction, having been tabbed to the NFHCA/Gladiator National Academic Field Hockey Team in 2011.  This season on the field, Dickson notched 19 points as part of the Eagles' attack, scoring seven goals and dishing out five assists for the second straight year.  Her career totals stand at 45 points on 17 goals and 11 assists.

Listed below are the 2013 All-ODAC Field Hockey Teams.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter.

2013 ALL-ODAC FIELD HOCKEY TEAMS
ODAC Player of the Year: Ashley Cross, Jr., A, Shenandoah
ODAC Coach of the Year: Ashley Smeltzer, Shenandoah
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Noelani Schulmeyer, Fr., D, Washington and Lee
ODAC/Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Colleen Dickson, Sr., A, Bridgewater