Melissa Russo became the first field hockey player in Gwynedd Mercy University history to be named All-American when the National Field Hockey Coaches' Association (NFHCA) recently announced its year-end All-American team.

Russo, a 2014 Pleasant Valley High School graduate and the 2013 Times News Field Hockey Player of the Year, is also the first player from the Colonial States Athletic Conference (CSAC), under that moniker when it transformed from the old Pennsylvania Athletic Conference after the 2007-08 season, to garner such an honor.She was one of 48 student-athletes in Division III selected, as the junior was named to the third team.This season, Russo's numbers are among the leaders in the CSAC and in all of Division III. In 19 games this year she recorded 27 goals and seven assists for 61 points. She ranks third in the nation in goals per game (1.42 gpg) and fourth in points per game (3.21 ppg) while leading the conference in those categories.The All-American award adds to the list of postseason honors she has accumulated this year. Russo was named the 2016 CSAC Player of the Year and the 2016 ECAC South Region Player of the Year. She also was an NFHCA First-Team All-Region choice as well as a member of the Philadelphia Inquirer All-Area Academic Team.