University of North Carolina Athletics
Dawson, Keeran Earn All-America Honors
November 23, 2004 | Field Hockey
Nov. 23, 2004
CHAPEL HILL, N.C. - North Carolina field hockey players Rachel Dawson and Kelsey Keeran have been named first-team All-America, as announced on Tuesday by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association. Dawson, a sophomore from Berlin, N.J., and Keeran, a senior from Sunbury, Ohio, are among 16 players named to the first team.
This year marks the first time since 2000 that two or more UNC players have been named first-team All-America. Keeran was named to the team for the second year in a row and becomes the 11th Tar Heel to earn the honor on more than one occasion. Dawson becomes the 26th UNC player to earn first-team honors.
Keeran, a forward, was named All-Atlantic Coast Conference and ACC Tournament MVP as the Tar Heels claimed the 2004 conference crown. She finished her career tied for 10th place on UNC's career goals list with 48 and ninth on the program's points list with 113. As a senior, she had 19 goals and an assist for 39 points.
Dawson, who plays midfielder and back, was voted the ACC Defensive Player of the Year after earning conference Freshman of the Year honors in 2003. She scored seven goals with eight assists in 2004 and was named to the All-ACC and All-ACC Tournament teams.
NCAA Champion Wake Forest placed two players on the first team, while Maryland, Iowa and Connecticut also had two each.
The Tar Heels finished the 2004 season 21-2. They were ranked No. 1 in the final poll of the season, released before the start of the NCAA Tournament, in which UNC suffered a second-round loss at home to No. 4 Duke.
2004 STX/NFHCA Division I All-America first team:
Mariana Creatini (Northeastern), Rachel Dawson (North Carolina), Sarah Dawson (Iowa), Kelly Dostal (Wake Forest), Amanda Eckert (Penn State), Veerle Goudswaard (Michigan State), Lauren Henderson (Connecticut), Adrienne Hortillosa (Michigan), Paula Infante (Maryland), Kelsey Keeran (North Carolina), Claire Laubach (Wake Forest), Kristen Madden (Boston College), Abby Ostruzka (Connecticut), Lauren Powley (Maryland), Javiera Villagra (American), Barb Weinberg (Iowa)
