Field Hockey Lands 5 Players on All-PSAC; Toppi & Gulliksen Major Winners

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Five members of West Chester's field hockey team received Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference all-conference honors, while Rachal Toppi (Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro) and Maya Gulliksen (Piscataway, N.J./Piscataway) landed major awards for their efforts in 2016. The 2016 All-PSAC teams were announced on Wednesday afternoon. Receiving all-league honors for the Golden Rams were Toppi, Gulliksen, Dayle Paustian (Martinsville, N.J./Bridgewater-Raritan), Marnie Kusakavitch (Pittston, Pa./Holy Redeemer), and Mackenzie Mlkvy (Berlin, N.J./Eastern). Toppi and Paustian were each first team picks. Toppi captured the 2016 PSAC Athlete of Year for the first time as well as all-league honors for the third straight season. The junior continues to add to her already record-breaking career. She has played in and started all 19 games for West Chester, leading the offensive attack with 23 goals and a total of 51 points. The junior leads the conference in goals, goals per game, and overall points. Toppi has achieved at least 22 goals in her first three seasons for the Golden Rams, adding to Division II program record 69 career goals. She also owns the record with a career 149 points in a career. Alongside Toppi is Paustian, who for the second consecutive season earned first team all-league for her performance. The senior appeared in and started all 19 games for the Golden Rams. She is tied for third on the squad with six goals on the season. Paustian is also second on the team with eight assists. For the PSAC, the senior led the conference with 5.16 shots per contest. Meanwhile, claiming second-team all-league were Kusakavitch and Gulliksen. Kusakavitch is a four-year starter for the Golden Rams, who truly left a mark on the program. She only trails her teammate, Toppi, for the Division II program record for goals in a career. Overall, she ranks second in the record book by capturing 38 career goals and 116 points. On the season, she is second on the squad behind Toppi as well with 12 goals and 30 points. She has also chipped in six assists, which is tied for third on the team. Between Toppi and Kusakavitch, West Chester's attack leads the PSAC conference in terms of points and goals. Gulliksen scored the PSAC Freshman of the Year award for the first time since 2014, when Toppi earned the honor. The freshman has been impressive by playing in and starting 18 games for the Purple & Gold. She has produced six goals and four assists for 16 points. One of her best games of the season came in an upset over Millersville, registering a goal and an assist for three points. Rounding out the honors is junior back Mackenzie Mlkvy (Berlin, N.J./ Eastern). Mlkvy earned third-team honors for the Golden Rams. She started and played 17 games this season, helping lockdown the opposing offensive attack. West Chester travels to East Stroudsburg for a PSAC semifinal contest with Shippensburg on Friday, November 4 at 12 p.m. PSAC Field Hockey Athlete of the Year: Rachal Toppi, West Chester PSAC Field Hockey Defensive Athlete of the Year: Emily Howell, East Stroudsburg PSAC Field Hockey Coach of the Year: Sandy Miller, East Stroudsburg PSAC Field Hockey Freshman of the Year: Maya Gulliksen, West Chester PSAC Field Hockey First-Team All-Conference F – Rachal Toppi, West Chester F – Robin Stevenson, East Stroudsburg F – Sam Peters, Bloomsburg F – Aliza Mizak, Millersville MF – Dayle Paustian, West Chester MF – Desiraye Mack, East Stroudsburg MF – Margaret Thorwart, Millersville MF – Courtney Ueberroth, Kutztown B – Emily Howell, East Stroudsburg B – Taylor Parker, Millersville B – Morgan Firestine, East Stroudsburg B – Taylor Fisher, Shippensburg GK – Ally Mooney, Shippensburg PSAC Field Hockey Second-Team All-Conference F – Marnie Kusakavitch, West Chester F – Megan McKay, Slippery Rock F – Madison Stewart, Kutztown F – Emily Barnard, Shippensburg MF – Brooke Sheibley, Shippensburg MF – Tali Wehner, Bloomsburg MF – Sydney McCarthy, East Stroudsburg MF – Haley Fidler, IUP B – Eleanor Kirby, Bloomsburg B – Maya Gulliksen, West Chester B – Jessica Strohecker, Kutztown B – Suzanne Muller, Shippensburg GK – Lindsay Cassel, Bloomsburg PSAC Field Hockey Third-Team All-Conference F – Katelyn Grazen, Shippensburg F – Olivia Hershey, Millersville F – Selena West, IUP F – Ali McKay, Bloomsburg MF – Courtney Konowal, Kutztown MF – Kylie Huffman, Shippensburg MF – Katie Lipski, Mansfield MF – Courtney Weaver, Millersville B – Emma Smiley, IUP B – Kayla Mack, Slippery Rock B – Mackenzie Mlkvy, West Chester B – Alexis Carroll, Bloomsburg GK – Samantha Rumler, Millersville