Cardinals Place Four on All-Landmark First Team
Cillizza and assistants named Landmark Staff of the Year

11/2/2007

WASHINGTON - The Catholic University field hockey squad gained some momentum Friday afternoon going into Saturday's Landmark Conference championship game.  The conference announced the All-Landmark teams and CUA had four players named to the first team as well as the coaches earning staff of the year.  The Cardinals are 11-7, 5-1 in conference.

Senior captain Michele Repass (Poolesville, Md./Poolesville) was selected as one of four forwards after leading the Cardinals in goals, assists and points with nine, five and 23 for the year.  Repass has started every game this season and was recently named to the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association's Senior All-Star Game.  This is her fourth nod to the all-conference squad.

Co-captain Ro Dixon (Ardmore, Pa./Country Day Sacred Heart) was selected as one of three midfielders on the first team.  Dixon is an all-around player and the general on the turf running the team from midfield.  On the year she has started in all 18 games and has four goals and two assists for 10 points.  This is her second time on the all-conference squad and first on the first team.

Freshman Andrea Baick (Gaithersburg, Md./Qunice Orchard) was the lone freshman selected to the first team, Baick was voted as one of the top four defenders in the league and also named co-Defensive Player of the Year in the conference.  The rookie has taken few shots this season but her performances versus the conference opponents were enough for the coaches to give her the nod.  CUA allowed just six goals among conference opponents and posted three conference shutouts.

Earning the top goalkeeper award was sophomore Marian Cassilly (Gambrills, Md./Archbishop Spalding).  This is her second time on the all-conference team after being named the CAC Rookie of the Year last season.  Cassilly played in all 18 games with 16 starts so far this year.  She has posted a record of 11-6 with five shutouts to her credit.  Cassilly has been a wall for the Cardinals with 94 saves on the season and a GAA of 1.21.

Head Coach Gia Cillizza and her assistants Kristy Palchinsky, Sondra Pires and Lucy Durbin were selected by their colleagues as the Landmark Coaching Staff of the Year after taking a team hit hard by graduation to the number one seed in the tournament.  This is Cillizza's second Coach of the Year honor, last season she was voted the CAC equivalent.

The Cardinals will host the second-seeded Juniata Eagles on Saturday at Cardinal Stadium in the Landmark Conference championship game.  With the football team playing at noon, field hockey is slated for 4 p.m.