Nov. 24, 2010
UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - Penn State field hockey standouts Kelsey Amy and Brittany Grzywacz garnered end-of-season honors from WomensFieldHockey.com after helping guide the Nittany Lions to a berth in the Big Ten semifinals and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Amy was honored as a third-team All-American after compiling an outstanding sophomore season, while Grzywacz was selected to the national All-Rookie squad following a strong freshman campaign in Happy Valley. The awards continue a run of accolades for the two after both received All-Conference and All-Region honors as well.
Amy, who was selected to the second-team All-American squad by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, served as the driving force behind Penn State's potent offense. During her second season, she led the Lions and ranked third in the conference with 19 goals. Her 0.95 goals-per-game average also ranked 10th in the nation.
A two-time Big Ten Player of the Week selection, she posted five multi-goal performances during the year, including a pair of four-goal efforts. On October 3, she set a new PSU Field Hockey Complex record with four goals in the first half against Monmouth. Four weeks later, she wrapped up the regular season with four more against Northwestern on October 29.
Grzywacz, who earned second-team All-Region accolades, needed little time to adjust to the college game. In her first season with the Nittany Lions, she made an immediate impact and started all 20 games. She eventually led Penn State with three defensive saves while also chipping in with 10 points.
One of only four players in the Big Ten to record at least two goals, assists and defensive saves, Grzywacz was a force on both sides of the ball. She tallied a game-winning goal against West Chester on September 19 and recorded a save during the team's shutout victories over Old Dominion on August 27 and Princeton on October 24.
Together, Amy and Grzywacz helped the Nittany Lions post a 14-6 record and advance to the NCAA Tournament for the seventh time in the last 10 seasons. Eventually, Penn State finished the year ninth in the final RPI rankings and 10th in the last NFHCA poll.