Newton, Mass.-Meredith Hessler (Middletown, RI) and Elizabeth Stickley (Mashpee, Mass.) have been awarded Great Northeast Athletic Conference women's soccer All-Conference third team honors for the 2009 season.
Hessler and Stickley were both instrumental in leading the Lasers to a 9-6-2 overall record (8-2-2 GNAC) and a third place conference finish.
Hessler cannot be defined as just a leading team defender, but also as a tremendous all-around player. The sophomore is extremely versatile and is able to move from position to position without missing a beat. After becoming one of the team's leading midfielders as a freshman during the 2008 season, Hessler was transitioned to the fullback position this year for her incredible ability to win balls while providing an exceptional defense for the net. Hessler also sees the field remarkably well, and has the capability of distributing the ball to the forwards for prime offensive opportunities.
This is Hessler's second time being honored by the GNAC with an All-League award, having been selected to the first team as a freshman. She was also selected as a member of the GNAC Sportsmanship team for Lasell for the second consecutive year.
Stickley finished the 2009 season with a 9-6-2 record, playing nearly 1,500 minutes in the net as Lasell's primary goalkeeper. Only a sophomore, Stickley has made 172 career saves, produced a 1.39 career goals against average, and earned a 14-8-3 record to date.
This season, Stickley recorded 89 saves in 17 games, marking a1.28 goals against average, and a .798 save percentage. She ranks third in the GNAC for GAA, fifth for save percentage, and ninth for total saves.
She has produced three solo shutouts this season against Mount Ida, Suffolk, and Simmons, all in GNAC play, while also combining for three additional shutouts, sharing time in goal against GNAC opponents Rivier, Johnson & Wales, and Norwich.
Stickley was also a 2008 recipient on the second team All-Conference.