Five Wildcats Named Field Hockey All-Americans

Photo by: Ryan Kuttler/Northwestern Athletics

Five Wildcats Named Field Hockey All-Americans

12/12/2023 10:54:00 AM | Field Hockey

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern field hockey tied a program record with five athletes named to NFHCA All-American teams, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced Tuesday. Annabel Skubisz and Lauren Wadas earned first-team honors, Olivia Bent-Cole was named to the second team, and Peyton Halsey and Alia Marshall were third-team selections.

Northwestern's five All-Americans lead the nation, with no other university receiving more than three selections. Additionally, the 'Cats were one of just two programs to place more than one athlete on the first team, joined by Duke. Northwestern has now been home to two first team All-Americans for three consecutive seasons.

The five athletes are all first time All-Americans, but all five add the feat to already impressive resumes. All five earned both All-Big Ten and All-West honors earlier this season and four of the five were named to either the Big Ten or NCAA All-Tournament teams.

Skubisz has now taken home All-American, All-Region and All-Conference honors along with the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament MVP awards. Her 13 shutouts this season were a program record and she completed 2023 ranked sixth in program history in career saves (323), seventh all-time in career save percentage (.796) and third all-time in career shutouts (23).

Wadas is just one week removed from being named the West Region Player of the Year after being unanimously selected to the All-Big Ten first team at the end of the regular season. She is a two-time All-Regional player and was selected to the second NCAA All-Tournament team of her career after helping the 'Cats to their third consecutive National Championship game.

Just one year into her Wildcat career, Bent-Cole has already been named second-team All-American, first-team All-Big Ten, Big Ten All-Tournament team and NCAA All-Tournament team. She scored ten goals for the 'Cats this season, including the Big Ten Tournament Championship golden goal.

Halsey led the team in both goals (13) and points (36) this season and finishes her time in Evanston tied for 17th all-time in Northwestern history with 86 career points. Among the goals were the game-tying penalty stroke that sent the National Championship game to overtime and six game-winners. Her two makes in the stroke-off against Rutgers clinched the 'Cats' regular season title in October. She finished 2023 with All-Conference and All-Region honors as well.

Rounding out the selections is Marshall, another graduate captain, who adds All-American honors to first-team All-B1G and first team All-West selections in 2023. She racked up 24 assists this season to finish just shy of Northwestern's single-season record, set in 1984. She was the first Wildcat to post a 20-assist season since Regan Mooney in 2011 and is only the fourth 'Cat ever to accomplish the feat. Her 47 career assists rank fourth in program history.

The 2023 Wildcats are the second-ever Northwestern squad to produce five All-Americans. It ties the program record set in 1990.