WALTHAM, Mass. – Bentley University's Ashley Scholten (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield HS) and Frankie Tossona (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn HS) were recently named Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division II Scholars of Distinction by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association for maintaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.90 or higher through the first semester of the 2018-19 academic year.

Tossona, a senior defender and one of the team's captains during the 2018 season, started 48 of 50 games during her final three seasons and 18 of 19 last fall. She was selected for the NFHCA Division II Senior Game and is a three-time All-Northeast-10 honoree.

Scholten, a junior, was also a defensive player for the Falcons. She saw action in eight games during the 2018 season and has been in 31 during her first three collegiate seasons.

Scholten and Tossona were two of the 20 Falcons who were named to the Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division II National Academic Squad for achieving a cumulative GPA of 3.30 through the first semester of the 2018-19 academic year. It was the second straight year coach Jessica Spencer's team had 20 players achieve the feat and the team's total was tied for the third most nationally.

Tossona and classmate Jackie Martin (Canton/Canton HS) were the two Falcons who were included on the National Academic Squad for the fourth straight year.

Making their third appearance on the National Academic Squad were Scholten, senior forwards Mikayla Ullrich (Montclair, N.J./Montclair HS) and Morgan Van Epps (Clifton Park, N.Y./ Shenendehowa HS), and juniors Abby Adams (Longmeadow/Longmeadow HS), Keally Ingersoll (Ellicott City, Md./Marriotts Ridge HS) and Christa Knell (Watertown/Watertown HS).

Second-time honorees for Bentley included a trio of juniors – Tess Anderson (Stow/Nashoba Reg. HS), Julia Earley (Howell, N.J./Howell HS) and Sarah Rockwood (Walpole/Walpole HS) – along with sophomores Sam D'Aquila (Brookfield, Conn./Brookfield HS), Dimitra Efremidis (North Easton/ Oliver Ames HS) and Tatiana Naclerio (Easton, Conn./Joel Barlow HS)

Earning the honor for the first time were junior Sam Pavano (Madison, Conn./Daniel Hand HS) and freshmen Erin McCool (Amherst, N.H./Souhegan HS), Katelyn McGuigan (Nesconset, N.Y./ Smithtown East HS), Meghan Moran (North Andover/North Andover HS), Christine Murray (Westwood/Walpole HS) and Kayleigh Vogel (Greenland, N.H./Portsmouth HS).

Coach Jessica Spencer's team was also recognized with a Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA Division II National Academic Team Award for having a team GPA of 3.0 or higher during the spring semester.