YORK, PA – For the first time in program history, the York College Field Hockey team has placed two players on the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) First-Team All-American squad as announced by the organization on Tuesday. Seniors Belle Fields and Riley Buschert were recognized by the organization for their outstanding play during York's record-setting 2024 campaign.
 
Fields is now a two-time All-American after earning third team honors in 2023. The All-American award for Buschert is the first of her career. The Spartans now have six all-time All-American honorees as Ali Posey earned the award twice (2015, third team and 2017, second team) while Greta Plappert picked up a third team nod in 2018.
 
Fields, who was named the NFHCA Region V Player of the Year last week, concluded her career as the top goalie in Spartan history. Fields finished the year ranked first in Division III in save percentage and second in goals against average. She led the Spartans to a school-record 17 wins as she allowed just 14 goals for a goals against average of 0.59. Fields played all 1,423:57 of the Spartan minutes in cage this season. She registered 91 saves to go along with 13 individual shutouts.
 
Head coach Katie Fost is extremely proud of what Fields has been able to accomplish.
 
"We continue to be proud of Belle and all that she has accomplished in the goal for our program," said Fost. "To become an All-American in our sport is quite the honor, only 48 athletes hold this honor and to be one of four goalkeepers is phenomenal. Belle is extremely competitive and we should have known that she wasn't going to go out with anything other than her absolute best. Right from the preseason it was clear she had been putting in the work to provide for her team as best as possible. Every time she took the field she was all in. She set a tremendous example for other Spartans to follow and for that she will always be one of the absolute best."
 
Fields finishes her time in the Green and White with career school records in save percentage (.830), goals against average (0.62), wins (48), and shutouts (31). She also owns the single season records for wins (17 in 2024), save percentage (.867 in 2024), goals against average (0.56 in 2023), and shutouts (13 in 2024).
 
Buschert caps her career as one of the best two-way players in Spartan history. She earned her first All-American honor after being the first Spartan to earn three first-team All-Region accolades during her Spartan career.
 
Buschert started all 23 games for the Green and White as she led the team in scoring with 30 points on ten goals and ten assists. Buschert led the team with five game-winning goals while she also had a defensive save during the year.
 
Buschert finished her Spartan career with 73 points on 25 goals and 23 assists in 85 games. She notched eight game-winning goals for her career. Her 85 career games played and career games started set a new mark for the Spartan field hockey program.
 
Fost was thrilled to see Buschert get honored.
 
"We finally get to celebrate something we have always believed was possible for Riley!" said Fost. "I'm so honored that other coaches finally saw what we see in Riley and awarded her All-American. Riley is everything we talk about when we talk about leaving a legacy and making a difference. She uses past examples of Dana Meehling, Mya Gerena, Maycee Collison to fuel the leader and athlete that she is. Her focus is always on providing for the team. Riley is a Spartan who will always be one of the best - not just because of her play - but because of how she led and loved this program from the first day she stepped on Kinsley Field. She is one of the absolute best people we have been fortunate to surround ourselves with every single day and for that we are so grateful for the time spent with Riley. York Field Hockey would not be the same without her."
 
Having two NFHCA All-Americans is the perfect cap to the most successful season in school history.
 
"For York to earn two All-Americans continues to be a testament to the work that this entire program puts in day in and day out to better our student-athletes and promote an extraordinary collegiate experience for those we call Spartans," said Fost. "An experience that creates some of the very best student-athletes in the nation!"
 
The duo are the sixth set of teammates to earn first-team All-Americans during a season. Men's Lacrosse had three players honored in both 2018 and 2021 while men's soccer had two first-teamers in 2006. Women's Lacrosse had a pair of first-team honorees in 2018 and 2019.
 
Fields and Buschert graduate as part of the most successful four-year class in Spartan history. The duo, along with fellow seniors Libby Wild, Maggie Spadafora, Delaney Mitchell, Billie Francis and Sophia Holtzner, combined to post a record of 62-22 with three NCAA Tournament appearances and a MAC Commonwealth title.
 
FULL NFHCA RELEASE