Junior midfielder Emily Cannon is the fifth Tufts field hockey athlete to be named a First Team All-American. The National Field Hockey Coaches Association recognized her on Nov. 20 as one of the top Div. III players in the nation. The award is the icing on the cake for the national-champion Jumbos, who won the NCAA Tournament on Nov. 18 against Monclair St.
Cannon, who was one of six players from the New England region to make the First Team, was a key part of Tufts' potent penalty corner attack, and finished the season with eight goals and five assists. Her breakout season was made even more impressive by the fact that she had not scored a single goal for Tufts coming into the year.
What made Cannon so dynamic this season was her presence as a two-way midfielder. She made major contributions to the Jumbos' strong defensive unit. Tufts only allowed 1.17 goals per game on the year, and various shutout and one-goal victories were key to the team's success in the regular season and the NCAA tournament.
One of Cannon's most important contributions was a goal in one of those victories, an overtime winner against Trinity to give the Jumbos a critical NESCAC win after they had dropped the first game of the year to Middlebury. Cannon also was perfect on penalty strokes this year, converting all three of her opportunities as she led her team to an improbable National Championship.
