NFHCA All-American Teams

BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- Continuing to stockpile awards for her tremendous 2021 campaign, Abby Asuncion has been named a first-team All-American by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association after the junior standout pieced together a historic season as a member of the Christopher Newport field hockey team.
 
The honor comes just one day after she was celebrated as a first-team All-American by Synapse Sports. Incredibly, in the illustrious history of the field hockey program, Asuncion is just the fourth Captain to earn first-team accolades from both Synapse Sports and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association in the same season. She joins a legendary group featuring Christopher Newport Hall of Famers Jacque Mayer (2007), Caitlin Cahill (2012), and Belle Tunstall (2013).
 
Along with her national accolades, Asuncion was previously celebrated as the NFHCA Region VI Player of the Year. Additionally, she garnered first-team All-League and All-Region honors and was named the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year.
 
A dynamic force on the offensive end, Asuncion registered 13 goals, which equaled the most by any player in the league and placed her 13th on the program's all-time single-season charts. She also posted three assists while matching her career-high with 29 total points. That ranked second among conference competitors as well.
 
Tormenting the opposition on a consistent basis, Asuncion collected four multi-goal efforts, including a pair of hat-tricks. On September 11, she drove home four goals in a showdown at Washington & Lee, which equaled the third-highest single-game total in program history. Just five days later, she snapped off three more strikes and handed out an assist in a win over Catholic.
 
With those efforts, she became just the fifth player in program history to notch at least two hat-tricks in a single season. Meanwhile, the five-day span between her eruptions marked the shortest in program history.
 
In addition to her hat-tricks, Asuncion also deposited a pair of goals against Bridgewater on September 1 and Eastern Mennonite on October 3. Additionally, she notched three points in a win over Sewanee on October 17 and blistered the back of the cage against Rhodes on October 9 as well.
 
Among her offensive contributions during the year, Asuncion served as a focal point on Christopher Newport's lethal penalty corner crew, which set a new single-season program record with 13 goals during the year. A consistent threat, she tied for the team-lead with seven total points on penalty corners after notching three goals and an assist.
 
Meanwhile, on the other end of the field, Asuncion was equally effective on the defensive side of the ball. From her perch on the midfield unit, she continued to frustrate the opposition while utilizing her elite athleticism and top-notch stick skills. Overall, she ranked second on the squad with 13 blocked shots, including a team-high six deflections during Christopher Newport's playoff run.
 
Along with her work all over the field, Asuncion was especially dominant while serving as a flyer on the penalty corner defense. She blocked 11 shots on corner attempts, which led the squad and helped the Captains clear 92 percent of the opposition's tries during the season.
 
Already making her mark on the history books, Asuncion wrapped up her junior campaign ranked 10th in school history with 27 goals and 15th with 58 points. Remarkably, the Sterling, Virginia native is averaging 1.61 points per game in her career, which currently stands as the third-highest rate in program lore.
 
Guided by Asuncion's work, Christopher Newport advanced to the NCAA Tournament for the 10th time in school history during the 2021 campaign. The Captains eventually finished the year ranked 17th in the NFHCA Coaches Poll.
 
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