Selenski Named NFHCA South Region Player of the Year
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WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Sophomore Paige Selenski was selected as the South Region Player of the Year by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA), the organization announced Thursday. In addition, five Cavaliers were selected to the all-south region teams.
Selenski and classmates Inga Stöckel and Michelle Vittese were each named to the first team, while junior Kim Kastuk and freshman Charlotte van den Broek were selected to the second team.
“Paige deserves every award she gets,” Virginia head coach Michele Madison said. “She is the hardest-working player I have ever coached. She always wants to improve her game and do it right; she is such a team player and wants to win for her teammates. To be the player of the year in the southern region speaks volumes for the respect the coaches have for Virginia.”
Virginia is having a historic season, setting the program record for wins in a season (20). The team earned the No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament, its highest ever, and on Friday will make its third NCAA semifinal appearance, and first since 1998.
Selenski has led the Cavalier offense this year with 26 goals, a mark that ranks tied for third all-time in the single season record books. An All-ACC selection for the second consecutive year and a member of the ACC All-Tournament Team, Selenski has six game-winning goals to lead the conference. This is the second straight year she has been named to the all-south region first team.
Stöckel, a native of Germany who is in her first year with the Cavaliers, leads the team with 11 assists on the year. A midfielder, Stöckel joined Selenski on both the all-conference team and the all-tournament team. She has six goals on the year.
Vittese, also a midfielder, was an All-ACC honoree and has contributed six goals and nine assists this season. The Woodbury, N.J., native was a second-team all-region selection a year go.
Kastuk, a goalkeeper and a transfer from Boston University, has a 0.87 goals-against average and a .788 save percentage in the cage this season. She has anchored the Cavalier defense, which has 11 shutouts on the year.
Van den Broek, a defender, scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 defeat of North Carolina in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. She scored her second career goal the next game in the championship game against Maryland. The Nijmegen, Netherlands native also has five assists on the year.
Virginia will take on North Carolina at 4:30 p.m. Friday in the NCAA semifinals in Winston-Salem, N.C. The game will be live streamed on NCAA.com.