Dec. 11, 2007

LEWISBURG, Pa. - Senior Chyncia Smith (Flemington, N.J./Hunterdon Central), junior Steph Graf (Jamison, Pa./Central Bucks East), sophomore Megan Krebs (Wilkes-Barre, Pa./GAR Memorial), junior Amanda Faust (Kingston, Pa./Wyoming Valley West) and senior Kelly Hoffman (Boyertown, Pa./Oley Valley) were honored as recipients of the Class of 1996 Awards this season, head coach Heather Lewis recently announced.

The Class of '96 Awards are given annually to recognize current players for their outstanding contributions to the Bucknell field hockey program. Coach Lewis established the five awards to show appreciation for her first class of four-year players and the unique qualities they brought to the program. Award recipients were based on a team vote and were given at the Bucknell Field Hockey Banquet held Dec. 1 in conjunction with the team's annual toy drive for a local shelter.

Smith received the Marja Bakermans Award for Loyalty, which recognizes the true spirit of the individual who, in an unselfish manner and positive attitude, sacrifices individual pursuits for the benefit of team accomplishments. Smith played in all 17 games for the Bison this season, including two starts. She tallied five points with two goals and one assist.

Graf was honored with the Tracy Bass Award for Intensity, which recognizes the true spirit of the individual who, in every practice and game opportunity, competes at her fullest potential. This is the second-consecutive season that Graf has earned the award. This year, Graf started in all 17 games for the Bison and recorded two points with two assists. She also led the Bison with five defensive saves and was named second-team All-Patriot League for the third time in her career.

The Elizabeth Goodall Award for Merit was given to Krebs to recognize the true spirit of the individual who, through an impeccable work ethic, is driven to excel in the sport of field hockey. This season, Krebs was named first-team All-Patriot League and second-team All-Mideast Region. She was named Damon's Bison Athlete of the Week on Aug. 27 and received Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week Honors on Sept. 17. Krebs started in all 17 games for the Bison this season and tallied 17 points with six goals and five assists.

Faust earned the Sally Keith Award for Character, which recognizes the true spirit of the individual who, through her personality and determination, provides leadership and strength to all of her teammates. This season, Faust was named first-team All-Patriot League for the second time in her career, to mark her third all-league career honor. She also earned first-team All-Mideast Region honors, was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 4 and Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 24. She started in all 17 games for the Bison and led the team with 18 points (five goals, eight assists).

Hoffman, the Patriot League Field Hockey Scholar-Athlete of the Year, was honored with the Carolyn Zesk Award for Academic Excellence, which recognizes the true spirit of the individual who, through perseverance, diligence, and flexibility, excels in both academics and athletics. This was the third time in her career that she was honored with a Bucknell field hockey season award. This year, Hoffman was named second-team All-Patriot League for the second time in her career. She earned Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 24, started all 17 games for the Bison and tallied 17 points with seven goals and three assists.

The Bucknell field hockey team closed out the 2007 season on Oct. 27 with a 3-2 league win over Lafayette for Senior Day. The Bison finished with an 8-9 overall record and 1-4 record in the Patriot League.