Nov. 17, 2009
BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins field hockey team placed three players on the Longstreth/NFHCA All-South Team as announced Monday afternoon. Junior midfielder Ariana Branchini (Old Lyme, CT/Choate) was selected to the first team, while senior midfielder Brittany Bland (Littleton, CO/Colorado Academy) and sophomore back Amy Wharton (Swarthmore, PA/Strath Haven) were named to the second team.
Hopkins has placed atleast three players on the NFHCA All-Region team in each of the last four years and has had atleast one first team selection in 14 of the last 16 years. The Blue Jays now boast 32 all-region selections since 1989, with 22 of those coming under head coach Megan C. Fraser.
Branchini, who earned Second Team All-Centennial Conference honors this season, is making her first appearance on the NFHCA All-South Team. She put up career numbers in 2009, leading the Blue Jays with a career-high seven goals, while also adding five assists for 19 points. Branchini ranked second on the team in assists and points and went 2-of-2 on penalty strokes this season. She will enter her senior season with 12 goals, 11 assists and 35 points in her career. Her 11 assists are tied for 20th in JHU history.
Bland, a two-time All-Centennial Conference selection, is making her second appearance on the all-region team. She earned second team honors in 2008 as well. She led the Blue Jays with 20 points and 10 assists this season, while also chipping in five goals - all were career-highs. Bland's 10 assists are tied for the third most in a single-season in program history and give her 23 for her career. Her 23 career helpers go down as the fourth most in Johns Hopkins history. She also has 11 goals and 45 points to her credit in her four seasons, as she is tied for 21st in points in program history.
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Wharton, a First Team All-Centennial Conference pick, earns All-South honors for the first time in her career. She is the first sophomore since 2006 to earn all-region honors and the first sophomore back in program history to earn the. Wharton anchored a defense that allowed 1.60 goals per game and finished the season at 13-6 and advanced to the Centennial Conference title game. She scored one goal, added an assist and had two defensive saves.
