Four Cavaliers earn NFHCA All-Region honors

Courtesy UVA Media Relations

Four Virginia field hockey players were named to the 2020 NFHCA Division I All-South Region teams, as announced on Tuesday by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association.

Each of the five regions honors 16 student-athletes on a first team and 16 student-athletes on a second team.

Senior back Rachel Robinson (Mount Joy, Pa.), junior back Amber Ezechiels (Niew Vennep, Netherlands) and sophomore midfielder Adele Iacobucci (Malvern, Pa.) were named to the first team while sophomore striker Laura Janssen (Nijmegen, Netherlands) earned second-team honors.

Robinson and Ezechiels anchored a defensive unit that logged three shutouts this season. Ezechiels was a key element of Virginia’s attack on penalty corners, scoring three goals with nine assists to rank third on the team in points. Her nine assists led the conference. Both were named to the All-ACC first team. This is Robinson’s second-straight first-team honor after being named to the second team as a freshman and as a sophomore. This is Ezechiels’ second all-region recognition after also being on the first team last season.

Iacobucci was second on the team in goals (8) and points (17). She was named to the ACC All-Tournament team and was also the ACC Offensive Player of the Week after scoring twice in UVA’s 5-2 victory against James Madison. This is her first All-Region honor.

Janssen led the team in goals (9) and points (18) this season. The All-ACC second-team honoree ranked fourth in the conference in goals per game and seventh in points. Three of her goals were game-winners, including the one she scored against Wake Forest in the fall to send the Cavaliers into the semifinals of the ACC Championship. This is Janssen’s first All-Region honor.

The NFHCA Division I All-Region team announcement is the first in a list of postseason awards to come from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) over the next several weeks. Next to be announced are the NFHCA Regional Players of the Year on June 7 — they will be followed by the NFHCA All-American teams and the NFHCA National Player of the Year which will be revealed during the live NFHCA Awards Show sponsored by AstroTurf® on June 15, 2021 at 7:00 p.m. ET.