Photos Courtesy of Mark Campbell

NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware field hockey head coach Carol Miller was named the Division I Coach of the Year, while senior forward Casey Howard earned second-team All-American honors as selected by WomensFieldHockey.com.

Together, Miller (top right) and Howard (bottom right) helped guide the Blue Hens to the 2009 Colonial Athletic Association championship and a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Miller was named the nation’s top coach after leading one of the finest turnarounds in field hockey history. Following a 2008 campaign that saw the squad go 3-15, she led nearly the same roster to a 14-6 record and a spot in the playoffs. The 11-win jump marked the largest in the NCAA over the past 12 months.

Under her guidance, Delaware averaged 2.70 goals-per-game, which ranked second in the league. The stingy defense also led the league with four shutouts. Last season, the squad ranked last in both categories before undergoing an incredible transformation.

In 17 seasons at the helm of the Blue Hen program, Miller has led the team to a 186-150 record, including a 74-55 record in conference play. Over that time, she has guided Delaware to a pair of league titles and two second-place finishes. She also was named the America East Coach of the Year in just her second season at Delaware in 1994.

Along with Miller, Howard also was a key cog in the squad’s resurgence in 2009. She garnered first-team All-Conference and All-Region honors while piecing together a record-setting senior season. She eventually finished the year having set new single-season program records with 22 goals and 51 points.

A two-time National Player of the Week selection, Howard also ended the year ranked second in the conference in goals and points. Her six game-winning goals also were the second-most in the CAA, while her seven assists were tied for seventh.

Overall, Howard capped her career ranked third all-time in program history with 51 goals. Her 115 career points are the third most at Delaware as well. Along with her slew of single-season records, she also leaves Newark with the single-game scoring record after posting five goals against Brown earlier this year.

Along with the two Blue Hens, the staff at WomensFieldHockey.com also honored Maryland’s Katie O’Donnell as the National Player of the Year, while the Terrapin’s Emma Thomas was tabbed as the top defensive player. North Carolina’s Kelsey Kolojejchick rounded out the top individual award-winners after she garnered the national Rookie of the Year.