Although she was positioned for a breakout senior season as a midfielder, Cammy Keiler behaved like a captain and accepted a move that was in the best interests of the Simmons College field hockey squad.

When the Boston team learned it would be without a goaltender for the first half of the season, Keiler volunteered to make the switch, despite having never played the position in college.

Her unselfishness was rewarded last week. Keiler, a graduate of Mt. Blue High School, was chosen by North Atlantic Conference coaches to the league’s all-conference first team.

In nine starts between the pipes, Keiler made 47 saves and posted a shutout. Moved back into familiar territory for the second half of the campaign, Keiler, now living in Minot, doubled her previous career output with four goals. She notched the game-winning goal against both Wheelock and Elms.

Another of Simmons’ tri-captains has a strong local connection. Junior Katie Bonney of Auburn (Edward Little) scored the ninth goal of her career this fall to go with three assists, starting every game for the Sharks.

The NAC all-conference field hockey team had heavy representation from the tri-county area. Former St. Dominic Regional High School standout Erica Dorso of Husson College was named Player of the Year. The Eagles also placed Dorso’s sister, Elisha, and Lisbon High alum Krystal Doughty onto the first team.

Oxford Hills product Tia Pratt of Lasell College was selected as the league’s top rookie. Senior defender Jana Fetterhoff of Jay was an honorable mention pick for Thomas College.

Ivey’s season going the distance

Mandy Ivey led Colby College into the NCAA Division III championship meet with a brilliant performance at the New England championship event last Saturday in New London, Conn.

A graduate of Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, Ivey led four Colby runners among the top 40 at the qualifying event. The junior clocked in at 22 minutes, 12.9 seconds.

The White Mules finished fourth of 43 teams in the New England competition and earned an at-large invitation to nationals, to be held Saturday at St. Olaf College in Minnesota. Colby finished fifth in both 2004 and 2005 and has earned a berth in the meet seven of the last 14 years.

Other season highlights for Ivey include a 49th place run at the Open New Englands, where she competed against a cross section of the best runners from Divisions I, II and III; 30th in the New England Small College Athletic Conference meet; sixth in the State of Maine Championship at Pineland Farms in New Gloucester; and fourth at the Connecticut College Invitational.

Playing an ‘A’ game

Kyle Smith, who led Edward Little High School to a pair of Class A hockey championships during his accomplished prep career, will wear the coveted letter on his shoulder as an assistant captain at the University of Southern Maine.

The Auburn junior logged seven goals and seven assists in 24 games last winter. Two of those tallies were short-handed. Smith also was named to the ECAC East Division All-Academic team.

“Smith has had two solid seasons, is an excellent penalty killer, and should step up his offense this year,” Southern Maine coach Jeff Beaney said in a press release.

USM drops the puck on its 2007-08 season with home games against Norwich and St. Michael’s this weekend.

Quick hits

Bates point guard Sarah Barton has been named to the D3hoops.com Division III Preseason All-America Team. She set single-game (18) and single-season (199) assist records for Bates last winter while ranking third in the nation Auburn native Kathy Karlsson has landed as an assistant women’s basketball coach with Division II power Bentley College. Karlsson was an assistant under Ann McInerney for two seasons at the University of Maine. She has also coached at Merrimack, Brandeis and Boston University … No. 1 ranked Bowdoin College makes its third consecutive appearance in the Division III field hockey national semifinals Friday, facing Lebanon Valley College in Collegeville, Pa. Middlebury and Salisbury meet in the other semifinal. The title game is set for noon Saturday.