Donato, Gatehouse announced as Field Hockey All-Americans

Junior Juliana Donato (Cedarville, N.J./Schalick) and senior Sarah Gatehouse (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson) of the national champion, Kutztown Field Hockey team, capped the best seasons of their careers with one of the top honors in the sport. This week, the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) recognized the duo as First Team All-Americans.

It is the second straight season that Gatehouse has earned All-America First Team honors and it is the first All-America accolade for Donato.

Earlier this season, Gatehouse was voted the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Defensive Athlete of the Year, along with being named to the All-PSAC First Team for the second straight season. The Sinking Spring native was the backbone of a KU defense that finished first in the conference and the nation in goals allowed (11) and goals against average (.497), starting all 22 games at center back. She ranked second on KU in points (19) and assists (5) and was fourth in goals scored (7). Gatehouse also received the PSAC Champion Scholar and NCAA Elite 90 awards.

Donato, who also received PSAC First-Team honors earlier this season, ranked second in the PSAC and tied for third nationally in assists with 11. She was also fifth on the team in points with 17 and started all 22 games as an attacking midfielder, facilitating the offense all season.

Kutztown concluded its best season in program history in 2023, finishing 19-3 overall and 7-2 in the PSAC, winning the program and university's first NCAA team championship, knocking off defending champion East Stroudsburg 2-1 in the championship game on Nov. 19, 2023. KU's 19 wins is a new program record and it also set a new record for shutouts in a season with 14.