Nov. 26, 2008

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UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - The Penn State field hockey team netted three players to All-American status, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association announced this week.

Jen Long (Doylestown, Pa.) secured her second first-team All-American bid. Representing the Nittany Lions on the second team were Allison Scola (Hummelstown, Pa.) and Jen Beaumont (Chalfont, Pa.). It is the second time Beaumont has been a second-team All-American, while Scola's standing rose from her third-team nomination in 2007.

For Long, it is her third All-American recognition from the NFHCA. Prior to this season, she was elected to the first team in 2007 and to the second team in 2008. Long has spurred the Penn State's defense this season. The defense has the second-most shutouts in the nation, holding opponents to no points in half of its games. Long, a two-time Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, served as a consistent defender, forcing stick tackles on opponents and stifling opposing breakaways. Over the course of the season, the Nittany Lions defense held the eighth toughest schedule to the fourth lowest goals against average in the nation. The senior captain served as the stopper on penalty corner opportunities and has 11 assists on the season.

Scola became a juggernaut for a Nittany Lion offense that lost a majority of its scoring attacks from the prior season. The senior captain from Hummelstown, Pa. pioneered Penn State, applying needed pressure on net and initiating penalty corners with pristine stick handling and steadfast aggression inside the circle. Since moving from the shooter to the pusher position on penalty corners, the senior midfielder has been instrumental on the team's success on corner opportunities. Amongst Big Ten competition, she is third in goals and points, scoring five goals and adding three assists. The Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Year's performance against No. 8 Iowa, against whom she scored a crucial game-winning goal, allowed her to be named the National Player of the Week. Scola led the team with 27 points and 13 assists.

Beaumont takes her second All-American honor. The senior goalkeeper was a presence in net for the Nittany Lions. Beaumont becomes the first goalkeeper in Penn State field hockey history to be named the conference's first-team netter. The Chalfont, Pa. native had an unprecedented season for a Nittany Lion goalkeeper. She had a .50 goals-against average in conference play and kept opponents at bay throughout the season, allowing the offense to flourish with just a 2.05 goals per game average. She made seven saves to shut out then-No. 10 Virginia. Beaumont shut out Michigan and Indiana in one weekend to earn National Player of the Week honors earlier in the season. Beaumont stopped 11 saves in a loss against Princeton in the first round of NCAA Playoffs. Her season goals-against average of 1.11 goals per game and save percentage of 81.9 were amongst the best in Division I field hockey.

Penn State and Iowa led the Big Ten with three players on the listing. Michigan State had two players, while Ohio State's Linda Haussener made the first team.