Full Centennial Conference Release
HAVERFORD, Pa. – For the second straight season, the Haverford College women's basketball team placed three on the All-Centennial Conference teams, the conference office announced on Tuesday afternoon. Senior co-captain Sierra Berkel was a first-team selection for the second straight season while senior co-captain Samantha Wetzel was named to the second team. Macy Goldbach picked up honorable mention. In addition to the All-Centennial honors, first year Julianna Clark was named the conference's Rookie of the Year. Clark is the first recipient of the award from Haverford.
Berkel was named to the first team for the second consecutive season. Berkel is the first two-time selection to the first team in program history. Berkel has appeared in 23 games, starting 19 contests. She is sixth in the conference in points per game (14.8) and seventh in rebounds per game (7.9). Her field goal percentage of 49.2 percent is second in the Centennial Conference.
The Flushing, N.Y. product is the program's all-time career record holder in field goal percentage (.506) and is second in field goals made (460) and rebounds (814). She is third in overall points (1,171).
Wetzel picks up her third-straight honor after taking home honorable mention in each of the last two seasons. A defensive force in the conference all season, Wetzel has started all 27 contests thus far. She rose to the top of the Centennial Conference all-time leaderboard in blocked shots this season, with 272 for her career. Wetzel topped Heidi Snyder of McDaniel with a four-block performance in the Centennial Conference Championship game on Saturday evening.
Wetzel leads the conference in blocks this season with 84, 29 more rejections than Chelsea Gary of Muhlenberg who ranks second. Wetzel's single-season output this year is the best in program history. Wetzel is fourth in the conference in rebounds per game (9.3) and 14th in points per game (12.8).
The Sicklerville, N.J. product is Haverford's career leader in blocks (272), blocked shot average (2.6), defensive rebounds (615) and games played (106). She is eighth overall in points (1,007).
Goldbach, from Garnet Valley, Pa., was named to honorable mention after a second-team a season ago. Goldbach has started all 27 contests in 2017-18. She has been a three-point sharpshooter all season, ranking fifth in the conference in three-pointers made with 31. Goldbach's 30.8 shooting percentage from beyond the arc was the 10th-best in the Centennial.
The junior netted 10 or more points on six occasions, including a 17 point performance in the win over Immaculata on January 15. Goldbach knocked down five three-pointers in that contest to match a career best.
Clark has had a debut campaign to remember, appearing in all 27 contests and averaging 5.2 points per game, emerging as a key reserve. The Lancaster, Pa. product sank 36 three-pointers and shot 34 percent from beyond the arc. Clark had perhaps her best stretch of the season from January 31 to February 8, posting double-digit point totals in four-straight contests.
Against Gettysburg on February 3, Clark sank a season-best four three pointers and followed up the effort with three made baskets from downtown in a win against then-No. 16 Muhlenberg (Feb. 6) and three more in the win over Johns Hopkins (Feb. 8). Clark ranks ninth in the conference in three-point percentage.
Junior Katie Cook was named to the All-Sportsmanship team. Cook averaged 4.2 assists per contest, good for third in the Centennial Conference.
Haverford will continue its exhilarating 2017-18 season in the NCAA tournament. The Fords will head to the Ashland, Va. campus of Randolph-Macon College to face off with Christopher Newport (23-4) in the first round of the 2018 NCAA Division III tournament on Friday, March 2 at 5 p.m. The meeting will be the first ever between the two squads.
After the release of All-Conference selections, the Fords will also await the release of various All-Region honors, expected later this month.