Rider's Egusquiza All-America Honoree

Senior Virginia Egusquiza (Getxo, Spain) of the Rider University field hockey team earned All-America status by two different organizations it was announced Monday.

Egusquiza was named to the All-America Second Team by Synapse Sports (formally womensfieldhockey.com) and earned Third Team All-America honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).

Egusquiza was named to the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region First Team last week for the second time and was one of 64 names on the All-America ballot.

"Both levels of recognition are outstanding for Virginia to have received," said head coach Lori Hussong who led the Broncs to their second straight NCAA Play-In game as Rider finished the season 19-2.  "Synapse, they go through a lot of game recaps and also see a lot of the teams in person and the coaches poll is based more on regional and then national voting."

A 5-4 forward, Egusquiza was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year for the third season in a row after earning the NEC Rookie of the Year award in 2008.

"For Virginia to get on the All-America team is great," Hussong said.  "You have a lot of players from bigger schools, like in the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC), Maryland and North Carolina and then schools like Princeton and we are competing in the same region.  For Virginia and for Rider University, this is an incredible honor and well deserved."

Egusquiza helped lead Rider to its third NEC regular season title and was the tournament MVP as the Broncs won their second straight NEC championship.

"This is quite an accomplishment," Hussong added.  "It really says a lot about the type of player and person that Virginia is, both on the field and in the classroom and on campus.  Our program would not be at the level that it is if she did not come to Lawrenceville.  She is so humble and very appreciative of the opportunities that she received from Rider University."

A team captain, Egusquiza graduates as Rider's all-time leading scorer with 150 points and she is also atop the career assist list with 62 after compiling 18 assists to go along with 16 goals this season.

Egusquiza was selected to participate in the NFHCA senior all-star game at the Field Hockey Final Four in Louisville, Kentucky on November 19.  One of 38 players selected, Egusquiza played against the U.S. Women's National Team as well as against each other in a series of four (4), 25 minute sessions.

Egusquiza finished the season seventh nationally in assists, 12th in points and 28th in goals per game.

"Virginia was not only our most talented player, she was also our hardest worker," Hussong added.  "As skilled as she is, she worked on improving her game every day and what a role model she is to the rest of the student-athletes in our program."