Rae and Kozniuk Earn All-ACC Honors
10/31/2012 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 31, 2012
By Currie McFayden, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@SIDeacons)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - Senior Lizzie Rae and sophomore Anna Kozniuk have been named to the 2012 All-ACC field hockey team as announced by the conference office on Wednesday morning.
Rae has now been named an all-conference player in three consecutive years, while it is the second straight honor for Kozniuk. Kozniuk is also the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year and is one of only five underclassmen recognized on this year's squad.
Despite shifting back into the midfield after playing extensively at forward in 2011, Rae has maintained her high level of play this season and has been one of the three senior leaders for the team.
The Christchurch, New Zealand, native has tallied six goals and two assists this year, bringing her career totals to 39 goals, 12 assists and 90 total points. She has made 72 starts in 76 appearances for the Deacs dating back to 2009 and has seven game-winning goals over that same span, the most of any active player on the team.
Even after a stellar freshman campaign in 2011, Kozniuk managed to perform at an even higher level this season, improving her stats across the board while remaining the dominant centerpiece of the Wake Forest defense.
Entering the quarterfinals of the ACC Tournament on Thursday, she has five goals and eight assists this season, including the game-winner in a critical early-season victory over then-No. 10 Michigan. The Canadian national team member is an incredibly versatile player who has lined up both in the midfield and along the back line in 2012, and she is more than capable of providing an offensive spark on counters as well. She has started in all 36 of her appearances in the black and gold and has racked up nine goals, 15 assists and 33 points through two full regular seasons.
North Carolina led all schools with five members on the team, while Virginia and Maryland trailed just behind with four and three, respectively. Wake Forest and Duke each had two honorees, and Boston College rounded out the team with one.
UNC's Kelsey Kolojejchick and Virginia's Paige Selenski were also just the eighth and ninth players to earn All-ACC honors following each of their four seasons in the ACC's 30-year history.
The 2012 ACC Field Hockey Championship begins on Thursday afternoon at 1:00 p.m. as fifth-seeded Wake Forest takes on No. 4 seed Boston College at Francis E. Henry Stadium in Chapel Hill, N.C.
2012 All-ACC Field Hockey Honorees
Emma Plasteras, Boston College
Emmie Le Marchand, Duke
Paula Heimbach, Duke
Harriet Tibble, Maryland
Jill Witmer, Maryland
Megan Frazer, Maryland
Caitlin Van Sickle, North Carolina
Charlotte Craddock, North Carolina
Emily Wold, North Carolina
Katie Ardrey, North Carolina
Kelsey Kolojejchick, North Carolina
Elly Buckley, Virginia
Jenny Johnstone, Virginia
Michelle Vittese, Virginia
Paige Selenski, Virginia
Anna Kozniuk, Wake Forest
Lizzie Rae, Wake Forest
