­­­BOSTON – Following one of the most successful seasons in program history, the Vermont field hockey team earned several All-America East selections. The league announced its annual award winners Wednesday afternoon.
 
Sierra Espeland headlined a group of five Catamounts to earn distinction as she was named the America East Goalkeeper of the Year, to the All-Conference First Team and the All-Academic Team. Alina Gerke and Sophia Drees both joined Espeland on the All-Conference First Team while Sophia Lefranc and Mora Fernandez de Oliveira both landed on the All-Rookie Team.
 
Vermont's three members on the First Team ties the 2007 squad for the most in program history.
 
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Full All-Conference Teams
 
Espeland is the second goalkeeper in program history to earn Goalkeeper of the Year (Kristen Heavens - 2009). This is Espeland's second all-conference selection and comes following her finest season in Green and Gold. Her.771 save percentage and career-best 1.35 goals against average both ranked second in the conference. She posted a league-best four shutouts and now ranks third all-time at UVM with 13 career clean sheets. Earlier this season she became the program's all-time leader in wins and in games played. Her selection to the All-Academic Team (3.778 GPA – Civil & Environmental Engineering) marks the third straight season a Catamount has been honored as such.
 
Gerke followed up an All-Rookie season in 2021 with another outstanding season in Burlington. She scored seven goals and dished out five assists for 19 points. She fired home a pair of game-winning goals – one in double overtime at Colgate and one against Dartmouth. Gerke ranked fifth in the league with 3.24 shots per game.
 
Drees finished the regular season as UVM's leader in points with 21 and assists with 11. Her 11 assists are second most in a single season at Vermont. She accounted for three game-winning goals giving her six in her two seasons as a Catamount. She ranks 14^th nationally in assists per game heading into the conference tournament.
 
Lefranc wrapped up the regular season with six goals and six assists and scored the game-winning goal in UVM's thrilling Senior Day win over Cal. She has a goal in each of the last two games. Fernandez de Oliveira finished the year with a pair of goals – both game-winners – and was named America East Rookie of the Week on Sept. 27. It is the fifth straight year at least one Catamount has landed on the All-Rookie Team.
 
Vermont wrapped up the 2022 regular season with a program record 13 wins and heads into this week's conference tournament on a two-game win streak. The No. 4 Catamounts take on No.5 Stanford Thursday at noon in the Quarterfinals from the UMaine Field Hockey Complex in Orono, Maine.