Four Wolverines Named to NFHCA All-West Region Teams
11/18/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 18, 2010
CHANDLER, Ariz. -- The University of Michigan field hockey team had four players selected to the 2010 Longstreth/National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) Division I All-West Region teams, the organization announced today (Thursday, Nov. 18). Seniors Paige Laytos (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) and Meredith Way (Lititz, Pa./Warwick) joined freshman Rachael Mack (Bromsgrove, England/Bromsgrove School) on the first team, while senior Alicia Mayer (Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove) was named to the second team. Laytos and Way both earned All-West Region first team honors for the second time in their U-M careers.
This is Laytos' fourth All-West Region honor as she was named to the first team in 2007 and garnered second team selection in both 2006 and 2009. This year, Laytos led the Wolverines with 12 assists in 22 games and had 14 points. An All-Big Ten first team and All-Big Ten Tournament selection, Laytos had the game-winning assist in Michigan's semifinal win over Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament Nov. 5. She also had three assists in the Quinnipiac win Sept. 19 and had a goal and two assists in the 4-3 overtime win over Northwestern Sept. 15. Laytos wrapped up her U-M career with 27 assists, which is tied for seventh on Michigan's all-time assists list. She also joined Way as Wolverines that were selected to participate in the NFHCA Senior Game this Saturday (Nov. 20) in College Park, Md.
Way earned All-West Region first team honors for the second straight season after scoring five goals and dishing out three assists in 22 games from the backfield. Way, who was named to the All-Big Ten first team and the NFHCA Senior Game, had game-winning goals against James Madison (Sept. 10) and Iowa (Oct. 10). She also had both of Michigan's defensive saves in 2010. Way scored both goals against the Hawkeyes in the 2-0 win on Oct. 10 and had a goal in the Ohio State game Oct. 22. Way ended her U-M career with 38 goals and 91 points, which rank eighth and 10th, respectively, on the Maize and Blue's career lists.
Mack, the Big Ten Tournament Most Valuable Player, led the Wolverines with 16 goals and 36 points in 22 games this season. She had the most points by a freshman in school history and was one goal away from tying April Fronzoni (2000-03) for the most goals by a U-M rookie. Mack was a four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree and was named to the all-conference second team. She had two hat tricks (Northwestern, Oct. 15; Penn State, Nov. 5) and scored the game-winning goal in overtime in both contests. She also had two goals apiece in wins over James Madison (Sept. 10) and Miami (Oct. 8) and tallied the game-winner in the Big Ten Tournament championship match against Ohio State Nov. 7.
Mayer was second on the Maize and Blue with 11 goals, eight assists and 30 points in 22 contests. She scored three game-winning goals, including the opening goal in the 2-0 win at Penn State Sept. 26. The All-Big Ten second team member had two goals apiece in wins over Albany (Sept. 18) and Quinnipiac (Sept. 19), helping her to a Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award Sept. 20. She also ended the regular season with two goals and two assists in the 5-2 win over Indiana Oct. 30. Mayer closed her U-M career with 24 goals, 13 assists and 61 points.
Laytos, Way and Mack are now eligible for the Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-America teams, which will be announced Nov. 22.
The Wolverines ended the season with a 15-7 overall record, a 5-1 Big Ten record, a share of the conference's regular-season championship and a Big Ten Tournament title. Michigan advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time in school history, falling to Old Dominion, 1-0, in the first round on Nov. 13.
• NFHCA All-Region Teams (PDF)
Contact: Kent Reichert (734) 763-4423
