UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. October 26, 2004 - Penn State's Amanda Eckert (Lititz, Pa.) has been named to the North Senior All-Star Team by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Eckert will compete in the annual NFHCA North-South All-Star Game, which will be held Nov. 20 at Wake Forest University.

"This is a great honor for Amanda and we are extremely happy for her," said Penn State Head Coach Char Morett. "She has earned the right to be recognized as one of the top seniors in the country. Amanda's done a tremendous job for us this year, and throughout her career, and I am sure there will be more honors to come for her. " Also for the No. 19 Penn State Nittany Lions, Michele Rigby (Dover, Del.) was named an alternate to the team.

Eckert and Rigby have been part of a solid senior foundation for Penn State this year. Although she is recovering from a broken thumb, Eckert has anchored the Lion midfield, helping to lead the transition attack while also providing solid defense. She recently tallied her first assist of the year in Penn State's 6-3 win over Northwestern on Oct. 22. Fittingly, that assist went to Rigby, who scored the first of three goals in that game for her first-ever career hat trick. Rigby leads the team with 10 goals on the season, which also ranks seventh in the Big Ten. The Nittany Lions (9-8, 3-2) travel to Bucknell on Tuesday for a 5 p.m. matchup vs. the Bison. Penn State hosts Michigan on Saturday for the Lions' final regular season home game of the year. For more information on Penn State field hockey and Nittany Lion athletics, visit www.GoPSUsports.com