NFHCA All-Americans

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Continuing to make history after a record-setting 2025 campaign, four members of the Christopher Newport field hockey program secured All-American accolades as Caroline Hughlett, Courtney Hughlett, and Lily Kerr garnered first-team citations, while Lindsey Loar hauled in third-team honors from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association on Tuesday morning.

The four selections equaled the highest total by any program in Division III history. Since the awards were first presented by the organization nearly 50 years ago, only 14 other schools have produced four All-Americans in a single campaign, and just five squads have accomplished that feat in the past 20 seasons.

Additionally, CNU became only the ninth Division III program to boast three first-team All-Americans in one year. 

On an individual level, Courtney Hughlett became the eighth Captain to earn a pair of All-American awards from the NFHCA after picking up third-team nods last season. In that exclusive club, she joined former teammates Abby Asuncion (2021, 2022, 2023) and Brooke Billhimer (2022, 2024) as well as CNU Hall of Famers Jacque Mayer (2006, 2007), Kim Tomlin (2008, 2009), Caitlin Cahill (2011, 2012), Marlene Lichty (2012, 2013), and Belle Tunstall (2013, 2014).

Kerr also added a third award to her résumé after notching All-American citations from Synapse Sports in 2023 and 2024. With her impressive collection of honors, she joined Asuncion as the only Captains to receive at least one All-American certificate in three consecutive seasons. She also became the first goalie in school history to secure recognition from the NFHCA.

Along with the multi-time recipients, Loar and Caroline Hughlett were both celebrated for the first time. 

With their accolades, the Hughlett twins continued to make history of their own. They became the second set of sisters at CNU to earn All-American honors, joining track & field champions Kaystyle and Leema Madden, who starred in the 1990s.

Meanwhile, on the national stage, the Hughletts became only the fifth pair of sisters from any level of the NCAA to receive first-team All-American honors from the NFHCA in the same season. In that legendary club, they joined two-time Olympians Julia and Katie Reinprecht (2012 at Princeton), former Team USA members Rachel and Sarah Dawson (2004 at North Carolina and Iowa), longtime collegiate standouts Allyson and Jen Bunce (1999 at Bentley), and fellow Division III stars Kelly and Leigh Mitchell (2008 at TCNJ).

Rounding out their historic footnotes, the Hughletts also became the fourth twin tandem in field hockey history to receive All-American nods in the same season. They matched the accomplishments of current Newberry duo Parker and Peyton Keeler along with former international icons Katie and Rebecca Birch, who earned recognition in 2019 at Iowa and Old Dominion, and famed triplets Ashley, Lauren, and Melissa Walls, who were celebrated at James Madison in 2007 and 2008.

Adding another layer to Tuesday's historic haul, Loar came to CNU along with the Hughlett sisters as part of the team's 2023 recruiting class. Previously, only one other class in program history generated three All-Americans. Arriving 10 years ago, the 2015 crew included future stars Rachael Allshouse, Courtnie Greene, and Brittan Muir.

Along with making field hockey history, the three juniors joined an exclusive club across all sports at Christopher Newport. Since the university took part in its first intercollegiate athletic competition nearly 60 years ago, coaches have welcomed in 789 total recruiting classes. Only 20 of those have featured three eventual All-Americans, and just seven have come from sports outside of track & field. In that group, the field hockey phenoms joined the 2003 football freshmen, the 2009 volleyball collective, the 2021 women's soccer crew, and the men's lacrosse recruits from 2018 and 2020.

Overall, CNU has now produced 19 different NFHCA All-Americans. At least one Captain has earned national recognition every year since 2017.

A well-rounded offensive contributor, Caroline Hughlett flashed her skill set throughout a dominant junior campaign. During the year, she established a new career-high with nine assists, which was the 13th-highest total in school history and placed her in the top-50 on the national charts in 2025. She also deposited seven goals and three game-winning tallies while finishing with 23 total points.

Providing some of the most dramatic moments over the course of the season, Hughlett showed a knack for highlight-reel plays. She drove home a last-second, double-overtime dagger against No. 3 Salisbury on October 8 before assisting on the lone goal during a 1-0 win over the same squad in the NCAA Elite Eight on November 16. Furthermore, she converted a make-or-break penalty stroke during a shootout victory against Messiah on September 20 and added another dart from the dot to upend New Paltz, 1-0, on October 14.

Consistent throughout the year, Hughlett registered at least one point in nine of her appearances, including a four-assist showcase against Bridgewater in the opener on August 29. That equaled the second-highest single-game output in school history. On the other end of the field, she also helped anchor the penalty corner defense, which successfully squashed 94 percent of the opposition's attempts during the year, including all four tries during the final two rounds of the NCAA Tournament.

Reinforcing her reputation as one of the nation's top performers, Courtney Hughlett was recognized as the NFHCA Region VI Player of the Year for her work during another remarkable season. Picking apart the opposition, she handed out 15 assists, which established a new school record and marked the fifth-highest total in the nation. She also set a career-high with six goals while concluding the year with 27 points.

Tormenting top-flight competition throughout the year, Hughlett recorded 13 points against nationally-ranked foes, including a two-goal eruption against No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31. Just as dangerous as a facilitator, she assisted on seven game-winning strikes, including three against top-25 opponents. Among her late-game heroics, she set up the overtime clincher against No. 17 Lynchburg in the Sweet 16 on November 15, which earned her a spot on the NCAA All-Tournament Team. 

During the season, Hughlett posted a point in 13 of her appearances. Those efforts included a pair of multi-goal outings and four games with at least two assists. Making contributions on the back end as well, she led the squad with 10 blocked shots while helping CNU rank first in the nation in scoring defense with a 0.39 goals-against-average. Given her performance on both sides of the ball, she rarely left the field. Overall, she ranked second on the squad with 1,155 minutes of action, including 60 or more on 11 occasions.

Capping off one of the finest tenures of any athlete in Christopher Newport history, Kerr placed a fitting punctuation mark on her career with one final standout season. During her senior campaign, she posted a 0.37 goals-against-average, which led the NCAA, set a new school record, and was the 13th-best performance in Division III history. She also ranked third on the national leaderboard with a remarkable .870 save percentage while posting a 19-1 record.

Quieting the competition from her perch between the pipes, Kerr held the opposition scoreless in 15 of her 20 appearances, including nine 60-minute shutouts. In a 1-0 win over Messiah on September 20, she turned away six shots and stymied four additional attempts during the overtime shootout. Just as effective against nationally-ranked foes, she snatched five saves apiece in triumphs over No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31 and No. 3 Salisbury on October 8. Later, she chipped in with eight stops in the NCAA Tournament, including four in the National Quarterfinals.

In the end, Kerr finished the year with 47 total saves while pocketing four or more in eight of her outings. Honored as an NFHCA Senior All-Star, she also collected her third career National Defensive Player of the Week Award on October 15. Placing her name alongside the finest goalies in the history of the sport, she finished her tenure with 64 wins, which equaled the seventh-most by a Division III keeper. Meanwhile, her 0.58 career goals-against-average was the seventh-best in Division III lore and the 13th-finest by any goalie at any level in NCAA history.

One of the country's most electrifying offensive standouts, Loar lit up the opposition with a relentless assault throughout the 2025 campaign. During the year, she led the team with 14 goals, which placed her in the top-50 on the national charts and equaled the eighth-highest total in program history. She also paced the squad with 32 points while landing five game-winning goals, which marked the third-most in school lore.

Adding her name to the history books, Loar became just the sixth Captain to record multiple hat-tricks in a single season after depositing three strikes against Rhodes on October 5 before matching that feat against No. 14 Rowan on October 25. Filling up the stat sheet, she also tallied four points in a victory over St. Mary's (Md.) on October 22 after collecting three at Ohio Wesleyan on September 13. Overall, she secured at least two points in 10 of her 20 appearances during the year.

Stepping up under the bright lights, Loar was especially masterful in clutch situations throughout the season. In addition to her explosion against No. 14 Rowan, she opened the scoring in top-25 victories over No. 5 Johns Hopkins on August 31 and No. 13 York (Pa.) on October 4. Then, in the playoffs, she punctuated the overtime victory against No. 17 Lynchburg with a missile in the 63rd minute on November 15. For her postseason performance, she was named to the NCAA All-Tournament Team.

In the end, the four All-Americans helped lead Christopher Newport to a 19-1 record while rolling to the Final Four for the second time in school history. Along the way, the Captains spent seven weeks ranked first in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll while recording eight victories over top-25 competition.

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