CENTER VALLEY, Pa. – American senior goalkeeper Maura Jacobs was named the Patriot League Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year for the second consecutive season in addition to being selected to the 11-member Academic All-Patriot League squad when the League office announced honors on Wednesday.
Jacobs joins former American teammate Natalie Konerth as the only field hockey student-athletes to repeat as field hockey scholar-athlete of the year. An American University student-athlete has captured the honor in each of the last five seasons and 10 times overall.
2018 Patriot League Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year
Maura Jacobs, American, Sr., Goalkeeper, New Cumberland, Pa./Cedar Cliff
*Jacobs holds a 3.97 cumulative GPA as a public relations and strategic communications major.
*She is a two-time Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a three-time academic all-League member.
*The New Cumberland, Pa. native was named the 2018 Patriot League Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Year in addition to earning all-League accolades for the second-consecutive season.
* Jacobs posted a Patriot League-leading 1.66 goals-against average, finished third with a .719 save percentage and averaged 4.31 saves per game to help the Eagles reach the postseason for the 18th-consecutive campaign.
Jacobs and Bucknell senior forward Nicole Rupnik were each selected to the Academic All-Patriot League team for the third time, becoming just the fifth and sixth student-athletes to accomplish the feat. Rupnik is a biology major holding a 3.91 GPA, while posting 14 points (6g, 2a) for the Bison this season.
American senior forward Rafaela Rubas – the 2018 Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year – was named to the academic all-League team for the second time, holding a 3.67 GPA, while majoring in business administration and management. Bucknell junior defender Marissa Morakis (biomedical engineering, 3.98), Lafayette junior defender Lisa van der Geest (international affairs, 3.67) and Lehigh junior midfielder Amanda Boyer (molecular biology, 3.99) all earned a spot on the squad for the second-consecutive season.
Six student-athletes made the Academic All-Patriot League team for the first time, including American senior defender Annaka Groschinski (justice and law, 3.90), who led the Patriot League in assists (0.56 ast/gm). Boston University senior midfielder Allie Doggett (business management and administration, 3.56), Bucknell senior defender Lexi Quick (managing for sustainability, 3.55) and Lehigh sophomore defender Lenke Havas (arts and sciences, 3.63) were all First Team All-Patriot League selections. Holy Cross senior forward Suzanne Noone (English, 3.52) also makes the academic team after being selected to the all-League second-team.
The Patriot League Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year and Academic All-Patriot League Team honors student-athletes who excel both on and off the field and is made up of 11 student-athletes. The awards are nominated and voted on by the Patriot League field hockey sports information directors.
To be eligible for the Scholar-Athlete of the Year award and the Academic All-Patriot League Team, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.20 cumulative grade point average and be a starter or key player in his/her sport. Freshmen or students in their first academic year at their school are not eligible for the honor.
The Patriot League Scholar-Athlete of the Year for each individual sport comprises the pool of nominees for the Patriot League Male and Female Scholar-Athlete of the Year awards, given out over the summer. One male and one female are selected for this honor.
2018 Patriot League Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year – Maura Jacobs, American, Sr., GK
2018 Academic All-Patriot League Field Hockey*
Annaka Groschinski, American, Sr., D
Maura Jacobs, American, Sr., GK
Rafaela Rubas, American, Sr., M
Allie Doggett, Boston University, Sr., M
Marissa Morakis, Bucknell, Jr., D
Lexi Quick, Bucknell, Sr., D
Nicole Rupnik, Bucknell, Sr., F
Suzanne Noone, Holy Cross, Sr., F
Lisa van der Geest, Lafayette, Jr., D
Amanda Boyer, Lehigh, Jr., M
Lenke Havas, Lehigh, So., D
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its third decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.