NFHCA National Academic Squad
NFHCA Scholars of Distinction
NFHCA National Academic Team Award 

RINDGE, N.H. (March 30, 2017) – The Franklin Pierce University field hockey team has had 12 student-athletes named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division II National Academic Squad, as announced earlier this week by the NFHCA. Furthermore, junior forward Carly Canavan (Kingston, N.Y.) has been named a Scholar of Distinction by the NFHCA, while the team earned the NFHCA's National Academic Team Award.

In addition to Canavan, the following 11 players earned National Academic Squad accolades: sophomore midfielder Sarah Bjorn (Holden, Mass.), senior back Morgan Caisse (Westminster, Mass.), senior midfielder Andrea Fahey (Hudson, Mass.), freshman forward Madison Gagnon (Milford, N.H.), sophomore back Rachael Graves (Glenburn, Maine), junior forward Danielle Harris (Templeton, Mass.), sophomore forward Dayna Kowesky (Leominster, Mass.), freshman forward Emma McGonagle (Rowley, Mass.), sophomore midfielder Raegan Moulton (Baldwinville, Mass.), senior back Shannon O'Leary (Florence, Mass.) and junior back Erin Smith (Templeton, Mass.).

To be eligible for selection, a student-athlete must have posted a cumulative grade-point average of 3.30 or higher through the fall semester. In addition, this is the fourth year of the Scholars of Distinction program, which recognizes student-athletes carrying GPAs of 3.90 or higher. Franklin Pierce has now had 12 Scholar of Distinction selections over the four seasons the NFHCA has recognized them.

The 12 individual selections to the National Academic Squad are the second-highest total in program history, eclipsed only by last year's collection of 14 honorees. The Ravens earned the National Academic Team Award -- which requires a team GPA of 3.0 or higher -- for the 11th time overall, and the second year in a row, with a semester GPA of 3.09.

Franklin Pierce has now had 135 selections to the NFHCA National Academic Squad, all since 2000, an average of 7.94 student-athletes per season over the last 17 years. Caisse (3.78 GPA) and O'Leary (3.30) became the 14th and 15th Franklin Pierce players to be four-year National Academic Squad honorees, while Canavan (3.98) is the program's second three-time Scholar of Distinction selection. Meanwhile, Harris (3.50) and Smith (3.69) have each earned their third selection in as many years, while Bjorn (3.65), Fahey (3.37), Graves (3.36), Kowesky (3.44) and Moulton (3.35) were each honored for the second time in their careers. Gagnon (3.40) and McGonagle (3.71) were both first-time honorees for the Ravens, who have now had 63 different players honored under the National Academic Squad program.

For more information on Franklin Pierce Athletics, please visit the official website of Franklin Pierce Athletics (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu). Also be sure to follow the Ravens through the Department of Athletics' official Facebook page (http://www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens), its YouTube channel (http://www.youtube.com/franklinpiercesports) and its Twitter feed (http://twitter.com/FPUathletics). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce field hockey apparel can do so at the Department of Athletics' brand new online store (http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store).