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AU’s Finn Named PL Defensive Player of the Year
Senior registers team-high seven assists for PL Tournament-bound Eagles

November 6, 2002

Senior Kate Finn

WASHINGTON -- Taking charge of the defense while lending a steady hand to the offense, American University senior captain Kate Finn (Derwood, Md./Col. Zadok Magruder) was honored as the Patriot League Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year Wednesday afternoon.

Finn earned a Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honor on Sept. 16 when she recorded 15 tackles and several key interceptions at the Maryland Tournament against UMass and Boston University. In a key 3-2 win over Colgate on Oct. 19, Finn tallied her first goal of the season, an unassisted shot on a corner rebound. She is tied as the third-leading scorer on the team with one goal and seven assists for nine points.

Finn on the run.

The First-Team All-Patriot League selection, who began her career as an attack in her freshman campaign, has started all but one game for the Eagles, leading them to two Patriot League Championship berths in the last two years.

“I am so happy that Kate has received this well deserved honor and has been recognized by her peers for her extraordinary talents. She has done it all for us this year with her tackling, leadership and heart—hopefully she can lead us to two more shutouts!” said Head Field Hockey Coach Steve Jennings.

On Friday, American (9-8, 4-2 PL), the No. 3 seed, will face No. 2 Holy Cross at 2 p.m. in the second Patriot League Championship semifinal at Rappolt Field in Easton, Pa. The first semifinal matchup is between No. 1 Lafayette and No. 4 Bucknell at noon.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, is in its second year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has capturing league championships in men’s cross country, women’s cross country men’s soccer, women’s volleyball, men’s tennis and women’s tennis, and regular-season titles in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse.

Chartered by an Act of Congress in 1893, American University features students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 160 nations worldwide