Briarcliff Manor native and University of Rochester field hockey senior Karina Bridger, was named a National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) First-Team All-American, as announced by the NFHCA today. Karina graduated from the Hackley School in Tarrytown.
“Karina was the glue that bonded our defense with our attack all season,” Head Coach Wendy Andreatta said. “She came up with clutch goals, stifling defensive plays and was able to weave through traffic with ease.”
The NFHCA Region III Player of the Year, Bridger adds to her growing list of accolades after capping off a tremendous career with a senior campaign that saw the Yellowjackets take home the Liberty League regular season title and pick up an NCAA Tournament victory at home against the University of New England.
“Off the field, Bridger was an amazing leader who always maintained a balance between field hockey, academics and campus life,” Andreatta said. “She is a friend to everyone and added such a fresh and optimistic perspective to everything we did as a team. I am so happy for Karina. This is a great honor for a special person.”
A First-Team All-Region III selection, the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year and an All-Liberty League First-Team honoree, Bridger appeared in all but one game for the Yellowjackets this season, tallying four goals and 12 assists on 58 shots, 31 of which were on goal.
The senior attacker led both Rochester and the Liberty League in assists, and ranked 37th in NCAA Division III, averaging 0.55 assists per game. Bridger’s 12 assists also tied for the fourth-most in a season in program history.
Bridger also notched a pair of game-winning goals, had multiple assists in two games and scored three goals and notched an assist in another game.
The Briarcliff native wraps up her stellar career with 13 goals and 16 assists on 101 shots over 53 games played.
