May 2, 2012
STANFORD, Calif. - Freshman driver Kiley Neushul was named MPSF Newcomer of the Year while Stanford earned six selections to the various All-MPSF teams, the conference announced.
Neushul was also named to the All-MPSF First Team and MPSF All-Newcomer Team. Sophomore driver Kaley Dodson joined Neushul on the first team, senior Alyssa Lo was named to the second team, and freshman Ashley Grossman was named All-MPSF honorable mention and to the All-Newcomer team.
Neushul, from Goleta, Calif., becomes Stanford's fourth MPSF Newcomer of the Year, joining Melissa Seidemann (2009), Amber Oland (2008) and Lauren Silver (2007). So far this year she leads the Cardinal with 55 goals, on pace to become just the fifth true freshman since 1997 to lead the team in scoring.
The freshman driver was named MPSF Player of the Week on April 16 after scoring five times in an 11-5 win over California on April 14. She earned the conference's weekly top newcomer award four times as well (Jan. 30, Feb. 27, March 13, April 23).
Dodson's selection to the first team was her second-career MPSF honor, as she had been named to the All-Newcomer team in 2011. This season, Dodson has scored 29 goals and was named to the MPSF All-Tournament Team following this past weekend's championship event.
Additionally, Dodson was named MPSF Player of the Week for the first time in her career on April 23, after scoring twice in Stanford's 8-1 win at UCLA on April 21.
Alyssa Lo's inclusion on the conference's second team was also the second All-MPSF honor of her career. An honorable mention in 2011, Lo ranks third on the Cardinal with 32 goals this season.
Another of Stanford's decorated freshmen, Grossman earned her MPSF honors after scoring 47 goals, second-most on the team, heading into May 11-13's National Collegiate Championship. This season, she has been named the MPSF's Newcomer of the Week on three occasions (March 5, April 2, April 9).
The quartet will help lead the Cardinal (23-2) to a repeat national title next weekend, as Stanford opens the 2012 National Collegiate Championship at San Diego State against No. 8 seed and SCIAC champion Pomona-Pitzer (21-16) Friday, May 11 at 3:30 p.m. PT.
Stanford posted a perfect 7-0 record in MPSF play this season and finished second at the MPSF Championship, dropping an 8-7 decision to UCLA in the final.