Four athletes from the University of Rochester field hockey team earned All-Liberty League awards, with two of them taking home major accolades following Wednesday's conference announcement.
 
Senior midfielder Sayaka Abe was selected as the conference Defensive Player of the Year while freshman midfielder Maya Haigis was chosen as the Liberty League Rookie of the Year.  Abe and senior attacker Callie Fisher were Rochester's 1st Team All-League honorees while both Haigis and freshman defender Colleen Maillie were named to the All-Conference 2nd Team.
 
Abe's Defensive Player of the Week award is the third straight for the Yellowjackets as Tara Lamberti earned back-to-back awards in the 2014 and 2015 seasons as UR's goalkeeper.  Haigis becomes the third UR player to earn a Liberty League Rookie of the Year award in field hockey, joining Rachel Cahan in 2004 and Michelle Relin in 2012.
 
This season, the Yellowjackets enjoyed another strong campaign, compiling a record of 17-4 and qualified for the NCAA Division III Tournament for the third time in history.  UR will open the tournament on Wednesday at 3 pm against Shenandoah University at Fauver Stadium.
 
Defensive Player of the Year/1st Team:
Sayaka Abe (sr., M, Putnam Valley, NY/Putnam Valley): 3rd selection (2015 1st Team, 2014 H.M.); Abe, a co-captain for the 2016 season, was UR's best two-way player on the field, excelling both on offense and defense for the Yellowjackets.  Offensively, Abe has 21 points on the year, with two goals and 17 assists while also recording one game-winning goal.  Her 17 helpers are currently tied with Allison Beardsley (2011) for the single season record at Rochester.  On the defensive end, Abe is a key member of UR's penalty corner defense and has helped the Yellowjackets to allow just 19 goals in 21 games for a 0.90  goals against average.  She was an All-Tournament Team choice following the Liberty League tournament.  Abe ranks fourth in NCAA Division III in assists per game (0.81) and is first in the conference in total assists.
  1st Team:
Callie Fisher (sr., A, Wynnewood, PA/Country Day): 4th All-Liberty League award (2015, 2014 2nd Team, 2013 H.M.); Fisher was the top scoring threat for a potent offensive attack for Rochester this season, posting career highs in goals (13), assists (5) and points (31) while also leading Rochester with 108 shots and 68 shots on goal.  The co-captain also added one defensive save and converted both her penalty stroke attempts while also notching three game-winning goals.  The senior ranks fourth in the Liberty League in points, third in goals and second in shot attempts.  For her career, Fisher is ranked 4th all-time at Rochester in goals (41), 5th in points (94) and 6th in game-winning goals (10).
 
Rookie of the Year/2nd Team:
Maya Haigis (fr., M/A, Acton, MA/Acton Boxborough): First conference award; Haigis made an immediate impact in her first season at Rochester, posting totals of 8 goals and 6 assists for 22 points, ranking second on UR.  She added a team high tying three game-winners with two of those coming in big Liberty League games against nationally ranked William Smith.  Haigis scored both Rochester goals in the Liberty League tournament semifinal win over the Herons, lifting UR to a 2-1 victory over the top-seeded Herons and earned All-Tournament Team accolades following the tournament.  The first year player also was a 3-time Liberty League Rookie of the Week winner from the conference and has started all 21 games for the Yellowjackets.  Haigis ranks 7th in the Liberty League in assists and is just outside the top-10 in goals in the conference.
 
2nd Team:
Colleen Maillie (fr., D, Lancaster, PA/Manheim Township): First All-LL award; Maillie appeared in all 21 games this season, starting 20 of them for the Yellowjackets.  She finished with three points, all assists, from her defense position and anchored a back line which held opponents to under a goal per game while also posting seven blank sheets.  Maillie ranks fifth on the team in shot attempts (25) and added a defensive save against Skidmore on Oct. 21.  One of the team leaders in minutes played, Maillie has logged over 1300 minutes in the 21 games so far for Rochester (64 min/gm).
 
COMPLETE ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE TEAM
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Hannah Wood, William Smith
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Sayaka Abe, Rochester
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR: Maya Haigis, Rochester
CO-COACHING STAFFS OF THE YEAR: Vassar & William Smith
 
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE FIRST TEAM
F- Mikaela DiBello, So., RPI
F- Callie Fisher, Sr., Rochester
F- Alessandra Patrizio, Sr., William Smith
F- Hannah Wood, Sr., William Smith
M- Sayaka Abe, Sr., Rochester
M- Alexandra Frary, Jr., William Smith
M- Krista Lamoreaux, Sr., Skidmore
B- Cydney Conley, Sr., William Smith
B- Monica Feeley, So., Vassar
B- Becca Halter, Sr., Skidmore
GK- Laura Aptowitz, Sr., Union
 
ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE SECOND TEAM 
F- Megan Caveny, So., Vassar
F- Gabby Hyman, So., Skidmore
F- Charlotte Leyland, Fr., Union
M- Claire Cecilio, Sr., RPI
M- Maya Haigis, Fr., Rochester
M- Cristina Lopez, Fr., Vassar
M- Maura Moran, Jr., William Smith
M- Alexa Steriti, Sr., Union
B- Taylor Clink, So., RPI
B- Colleen Maillie, Fr., Rochester
B- Jamie Oriol, Sr., St. Lawrence
GK- Paige Amico, So., Vassar

ALL-LIBERTY LEAGUE HONORABLE MENTION 
F- Miranda Davenport, Fr., Skidmore
F- Lucy Stillman, So., St. Lawrence
M- Carly Dziekan, Fr., St. Lawrence
B- Marissa Folts, So., Skidmore
B- Emily Granger, Sr., William Smith
B- Lauren Shumate, Sr., Vassar
GK- Elizabeth Coughlin, So., Skidmore