Sports News: Winter 2004-05

Tuesday, February 22, 2005

MORAVIAN’S SEAMAN & HACKLEMAN NAMED TO COMMONWEALTH
ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS; SPIRK HONORED AS COACH OF THE YEAR

ANNVILLE, PA --- Junior forward Stephanie Seaman (Bethlehem, PA/Bethlehem Catholic HS) of the Moravian College women’s basketball team has been named to the 2004-05 Commonwealth All-Conference First Team while sophomore forward Jenny Hackleman (Solvang, CA/Rutgers Prep {NJ} HS) was honored on the All-Conference Second Team and head coach Mary Beth Spirk earned Commonwealth Coach of the Year honors announced by the Middle Atlantic Corporation Tuesday.

Joining Seaman on the All-Conference First Team were Eli Cook of Messiah College, who was named the Commonwealth Player of the Year, Kristin Sassaman of Messiah, Chelsea Luhta from Widener University, Jennifer Roberts of Elizabethtown College and Jennifer Northcutt from Lebanon Valley College.

Spirk has coached the Greyhounds to a 21-4 overall record, a 12-2 slate in Commonwealth Conference action and the squad’s fourth straight postseason berth this year. Spirk has a career record of 329-157. The Coach of the Year award is the sixth for Spirk, who was the MAC South Coach of the Year in 1989-90, 1990-91 and 1991-92, the MAC Commonwealth Coach of the Year back in 1996-97 and the Commonwealth Conference Coach of the Year last season. Spirk was the Women’s Basketball Coaches Association National Coach of the Year in 1991-92 and has led Moravian to the postseason in 15 of her 18 seasons, including four NCAA Tournament bids and four ECAC Tournament berths.

Seaman leads the Greyhounds in scoring with an average of 14.1 points per game. Seaman, who was named the Most Valuable Player at both the 4th Annual Starters Moravian Winter Classic and the Catholic Tip-Off Tournament, is also leading the team with 7.8 rebounds per game to go with 48 assists, 36 steals, ten three-pointers and 17 blocked shots. Seaman was also named the Women's DIII News January Player of the Month.

Hackleman has an average of 7.1 rebounds per game, and she is netting 11.7 points per contest. Hackleman, who was also named to the Starters Moravian Winter Classic All-Tournament Team, also has a team high 39 blocked shots to go with 41 assists and 24 steals. Hackleman is shooting 51.8 percent from the floor. Both Seaman and Hackleman are all shooting over 75 percent at the foul line this season.

Moravian is the top seed in the upcoming Commonwealth Conference Tournament and will host fourth-seeded Widener University in a semifinal game on Wednesday, February 23rd at 7:00 p.m. in Johnston Hall. The winner of the Commonwealth Tournament, which concludes on Saturday, February 26th, earns a berth in the 2005 NCAA Division III National Championship Tournament beginning on March 2nd.