ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Following a historic 2018 season, five members of the Washington & Jefferson field hockey team have received Empire 8 All-Conference recognition, highlighted by Player of the Year Rachel Buyan (Huntington Beach, Calif./Edison), while the coaching staff was selected as the E8's Coaching Staff of the Year.

Buyan​​​​​​ became W&J's first E8 Player of the Year since Jennifer Marabella received that honor following the 2010 campaign. The senior has been selected to the First Team in each of the last three seasons.

For the second straight campaign, the Presidents won the Coaching Staff of the Year award. Head coach Jomara Coghlan (12th year) and assistant Caitlin Hoover were selected for this honor for guiding the Red & Black to a program-record 18 wins, an undefeated season in the E8 (8-0), and the team's first ranking in the Penn Monto/National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division III Coaches Poll, which had W&J at No. 15 entering the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship field. Coghlan has won the Coach/Staff of the Year award four times in her 12 years leading W&J, previously winning the award in 2007, 2010 and 2017

Joining Buyan on the First Team were senior Alana Boyd (Alexandria, Va./Thomas Edison) and sophomore Rena Israel (Wexford, Pa./North Allegheny). Seniors Gabby Karr (White Hall, Md./North Hartford) and Claire Shaak (Myerstown, Pa./Eastern Lebanon County) both made the Second Team, while sophomore Reghan Dunn (Earleville, Md./Bohemian Manor) was tabbed as W&J's representative on the E8 Sportswoman of the Year team. 

Buyan was fantastic for the Presidents in her final collegiate season, as she led the team with 36 points and 16 goals, the latter tying a career high. She ranked fourth in the E8 in both points and goals. This season, Buyan jumped to the top of a few of the program's career leaderboards, as she ends her collegiate tenure second in career goals with 49, third in points with 117, and tied for fifth in assists with 19. She was also a critical element of W&J's staunch defense.

Boyd finished 2018 tied for the team lead in assists (4) and second on W&J with career highs in both points (26) and goals (11). The honor marks the third time that Boyd has received E8 all-conference recognition, as she was named to the First Team along with being the Rookie of the Year in 2015 and the Second Team in 2017. The forward ends her career with 52 points on 23 goals and six assists. Her 23 goals are tied for 10th on W&J's all-time leaderboard. 

Israel broke out in her first season as the Presidents' starting goalie to make her first All-E8 Team. The sophomore led the nation with a 0.909 save percentage and was second with a 0.27 goals-against average. She ended the year with 50 saves, 14 shutouts, and a 16-2 overall record. Israel garnered accolades for her play throughout the season, taking home E8 Defensive Player of the Week honors three times. 

Karr and Shaak both earned their second consecutive All-E8 honors by being integral components of the Presidents' outstanding defense. The W&J defense led the country in goals-against average (0.29), save percentage (0.898), and shutouts per game (0.75). The Red & Black recorded 15 shutouts in 20 games and allowed a whopping six goals all season. 

On offense, Karr tallied five points on one goal and three assists. Shaak posted career highs with 12 points and four goals. Both players were also two of seven Presidents to start all 20 games this year. 

Dunn logged career highs in points (8), goals (2), and assists (4) in 2018. She also started 20 games as a part of W&J's defense. 

The Presidents ended their season on Saturday, Nov. 10, with a 1-0 overtime loss at No. 6 Salisbury in the second round of the NCAA Division III Field Hockey Championship.