COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Five members of the Christopher Newport field hockey team were named to the NFHCA National Collegiate Watchlist as Katie Abendschoen, Brooke Billhimer, Caroline Hughlett, Courtney Hughlett, and Lily Kerr were recognized by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Thursday afternoon.

The five Captains were among 180 standouts from around the country to earn the prestigious recognition. The annual NFHCA Watchlist is designed to showcase the nation's student-athletes with the strongest potential to earn All-Region and All-American accolades during the upcoming season.

Billhimer and Kerr were honored for the second straight year, joining former legend Abby Asuncion as the only two-time recipients in program history. Meanwhile, the other three standouts were celebrated for the first time.

Abendschoen enters her senior season after anchoring the midfield unit throughout the 2023 campaign. During her third year with the program, she earned All-Conference, All-State, and All-Region plaudits while ranking first among midfielders with 875 minutes of action. Making the most of her time on the field, she contributed 16 points, including six goals. She also assisted on the game-winning tally against No. 6 Salisbury in the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Championship on November 4.

One of the nation's most decorated defensive juggernauts, Billhimer hauled in All-American accolades in 2022 and enters her senior year as a three-time All-Conference and All-State selection. Last year, she served as a centerpiece on the squad's back line, which helped CNU rank third nationally with a 0.55 goals-against-average. Starting all 18 games, she led the team with 1,061 minutes of action while registering a defensive save and 11 blocked shots during an electric junior campaign.

Looking to build upon an outstanding debut, Caroline Hughlett starred throughout her freshman season while earning All-Conference and All-State nods. Establishing herself as one of the league's most lethal offensive threats, she ranked second in the conference with eight assists and fourth with 26 points. Her four game-winning goals also equaled the highest total in the conference. Incredibly, three of her clinchers came against top-20 competition, including the key blow against No. 5 Salisbury on October 18.

Equally dominant during her first collegiate campaign, Courtney Hughlett was a stabilizing force on the midfield unit while notching All-Conference laurels. She also became the eighth Captain in school history to earn a spot on the National All-Rookie Team. Leading all first-year players with 848 minutes of action, she ranked sixth in the league with six assists, including a clutch helper in the league championship against No. 6 Salisbury on November 4. For that performance, she was named to the C2C All-Tournament Team.

A second-team All-American last year, Kerr solidified her place among the top goalkeepers in the country during a sensational sophomore season. Earning universal praise for her work, she ranked fourth in the NCAA with a stellar .877 save percentage while slotting sixth with a 0.57 goals-against-average. Both of those marks also placed her second on the school's all-time single-season charts. Suffocating the opposition, she did not allow a goal in 11 of her 18 appearances, including four 60-minute shutouts.

Ranked seventh in the NFHCA National Preseason Coaches Poll, Christopher Newport will open up the 2024 campaign on Friday at 6 p.m. when the Captains host Denison in a non-conference tilt.

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