St. Mary’s City, MD- St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s field hockey team celebrated an exceptional season with nine players earning spots on the All-United East Field Hockey Teams, in addition to sweeping all four major conference awards. Head Coach Jessica Lanham, now in her ninth year, earned her third career Coach of the Year honor, her first in the United East, following two previous accolades in the Atlantic East Conference in 2021 and 2022.
Coach Lanham guided the Seahawks to a dominant 5-1 victory over Keystone College in the United East Conference championship game on November 9, marking the team’s second consecutive title and automatic berth to the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship Tournament. The Seahawks have maintained an impressive 22-0 record in regular-season conference play since 2021, with their last conference defeat dating back to a 1-0 loss to Christopher Newport University on October 30, 2019.
The Player of the Year award went to junior Emma Watkins, a forward from Frederick, Maryland, who led the Seahawks in scoring with 12 goals. Watkins, honored for the first time as an all-conference player, recorded five multi-goal games and was named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III Offensive Player of the Week on October 23. She also earned the United East Offensive Player of the Week title twice during the season. Watkins’ recognition marks the second consecutive year a St. Mary’s player has been named Player of the Year, following Brenna Ziegler’s honor in 2023.
Senior captain Charlotte Horn, from Schnecksville, Pennsylvania, claimed her third consecutive Defensive Player of the Year title, adding to her previous two awards in the Atlantic East Conference. A four-time First Team honoree, Horn anchored the Seahawks’ defensive unit, which recorded eight shutouts this season. Known for her versatility, Horn contributed offensively as well, scoring three goals, including two game-winners, and adding six assists. She was also named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after scoring twice in the championship match.
First-year goalkeeper Sophia Kent, hailing from Gunston, took home Rookie of the Year honors, becoming the seventh Seahawk to claim the award. Kent recorded an 8-3 record with four solo shutouts and led the conference with a 0.96 goals-against average. Her performance also earned her the United East Defensive Player of the Week honor on October 14.
The First Team All-United East lineup included Horn, Watkins, Kent, and junior Brenna Ziegler from Newark, Delaware. Ziegler, who led the conference with nine assists and five game-winning goals, also reached the 100-career-point milestone in a semifinal victory over Penn State Harrisburg on November 2. Ziegler’s accomplishments make her only the second Seahawk to reach this milestone, joining Lauriann Parker from the class of 2013.
Second Team All-United East honors went to graduate student Anna Eaton, juniors Josie Shermeyer, Sofia Lopez, and Jena Vanskiver, and sophomore Safiya Stimely. Eaton, a three-time all-conference honoree, contributed significantly in the midfield, recording two assists. Shermeyer and Lopez enjoyed their first all-conference recognition, with Lopez’s season highlighted by an overtime game-winning goal against Penn State Harrisburg on October 12. Vanskiver, earning her third Second Team selection, led the conference with eight defensive saves, bolstering the Seahawks’ formidable defense.
Stimely, another key part of the Seahawks’ defensive core, played a crucial role in holding conference opponents scoreless in the regular season and allowing only one goal during the playoffs. She notched her first career assist in a 4-3 overtime victory over Randolph-Macon College on September 11.
The team’s accomplishments this season underscore a program with sustained excellence under Lanham’s leadership. St. Mary’s College of Maryland’s field hockey program remains a dominant force in the United East, demonstrating strength across all areas, from the attacking prowess of Watkins and Ziegler to the defensive stability provided by Horn, Kent, and the rest of the defensive lineup.
