MANAHAWKEN, N.J. – JWU (Providence) graduate student Megan Salsinha and senior Haley Budenas have been named to the 2024 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division III All-Region 1 Second Team.

Named the 2024 Great Northeast Athletic Conference (GNAC) Defensive Player of the Year, Budenas started all 22 games for head coach Lisa Lopes and finished second in points with 19 on four goals and 11 assists. The primary inserter on penalty corners for JWU, Budenas opened the season with a five-point effort (2-1-5) in a win against Framingham State on August 30 and posted three multi-point efforts, including two assists in a road win at Salem State (Sept. 18) and three points (1-1-3) in a win over Regis (MA) on Senior Day.

Defensively, Budenas and the Wildcats allowed just 21 goals in 22 games and a total of 86 penalty corners en route to posting 11 shutouts. Budenas closed her career with three GNAC First Team nods (2021, 2023-24) and 28 points (7-14-28) in 84 career games.

Salsinha – who began her collegiate career as UMass Lowell – led the Wildcats in both goals (18) and points (45) this past season; her 45 points is the fourth-highest single-season mark in program history. The Westport, Massachusetts native collected four hat tricks in 2024, highlighted by a three-goal effort in the GNAC Quarterfinals against Dean (Nov. 2) and another on November 9 in the Wildcats 4-2 win over Simmons in the GNAC Championship.

The Wildcats posted an 18-4 record in 2024 and captured their fourth-straight conference title and NCAA Tournament berth.