Wakefield, Mass., native honored after strong performances for Skyhawks on both ends of the field last week

EASTON, Mass. (September 13, 2010) – Stonehill College senior back Courtney Foley (Wakefield, Mass./Wakefield Memorial) was named the Northeast-10 Conference's Defensive Player of the Week by the league office this afternoon.

Foley, who earns the award for the first time in her career, led Stonehill on both ends of the field in a pair of games last week. She registered a goal and three assists on the offensive end and also spearheaded a defensive effort which posted a 1.00 goals against average with one shutout while limiting the opposition to just 4.0 shots and 2.5 penalty corners per game.

In Wednesday's 8-0 win over Assumption College, Foley scored a goal and added two assists while leading a shutout performance on defense by holding the Greyhounds to just four shots, two on goal, and four corners. She assisted on Stonehill's lone goal against Merrimack on Saturday, helping limit the Warriors to just four shots and one corner.

Foley shares the Conference lead through the first two weeks of the season with four assists, adding a goal for six points to rank fourth among NE-10 leaders in points. She has led a Stonehill defense that ranks fourth in the Conference with a 2.25 team goals against average and second with the one shutout. Foley has also notched one defensive save so far this year.

Foley has appeared in 41 games over her career at Stonehill, starting 25, and totaled seven goals and 11 assists for 25 points. She is coming off a junior season in which she ranked second on the team with seven assists, while adding six goals for 19 points in 22 starts. Foley was also named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division II Academic Squad as a sophomore.

Stonehill (1-3, 0-0 NE-10), ranked fourth in the Kookaburra/NFHCA Division II preseason poll, is back in action tomorrow night when it hosts seventh-ranked and rival Bentley University for a non-conference clash at W.B. Mason Stadium at 7 p.m., to wrap up a five game home stand to start the season.