BIG EAST Announces Annual Field Hockey Awards
NEW YORK – Heading into the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by Jeep, this weekend, the league announced the All-BIG EAST Teams and major award winners for the 2017 regular season. BIG EAST regular-season champion, No. 1 Connecticut, garnered three major awards, including Nancy Stevens’ 11th BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year certificate.
For a third consecutive year, UConn forward Charlotte Veitner was selected as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year. UConn back Casey Umstead was unanimously selected BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year while Providence’s Manon van Weezel was voted BIG EAST Freshman of the Year.
Connecticut, ranked No. 1 nationally for eight straight weeks, finished atop the league standings unbeaten (7-0) for the 11th time and won the regular-season title for the 16th time since the BIG EAST began playing a regular-season schedule in 1993. Holding a 17-0 overall record, UConn ranks at the top in seven different NCAA statistical categories. Along with being the only remaining unbeaten team, UConn ranks first nationally in goals per game (5.00), assists per game (4.94), points per game (14.94), scoring average (4.95), goals against average (0.58) and scoring margin (4.37). In addition, the Huskies rank third in save percentage (0.821) and shutouts with 10.
Named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year for the third time in her career, Veitner maintained her reputation as a top offensive threat in the NCAA. The senior leads the nation in goals (27) and points (65), while being at the forefront of a couple record-setting performances. With a conference leading 12 goals and 30 points in seven BIG EAST matches, the senior recorded a pair of 10-point performances, tying the BIG EAST record. Over her illustrious four-year career, the senior forward sits at the top of three statistical categories in Connecticut field hockey history, holding the programs all-time record in goals (111), assists (62) and points (284) heading into the postseason.
Leading the way for the nation’s top-ranked Huskies on the defensive side of the field this season was senior back Casey Umstead. After picking up seven BIG EAST Player of the Week honors (six defensive, one offensive), Umstead was unanimously selected by the BIG EAST head coaches as Defensive Player of the Year after leading the Huskies to 10 shutouts, the lowest goals against average (0.58) in the nation and the country’s largest margin of victory (4.37 goals per game). With eight victories over top-20 opponents, Umstead and her senior classmates completed their second career perfect regular season (2015), while outshooting their opponents 362-100. The defender also made a difference on the attack, notching 43 points off 13 goals and 17 assists.
Claiming top freshman honors, van Weezel made a strong first impression in her first year at Providence. Starting all 18 matches, she wrapped up her first regular season leading the Friars with 13 points, five assists and 51 shots. Van Weezel also made a strong impact on the defensive side of the ball, picking up two defensive saves during the regular season. She made a major impact on the attack against Georgetown (10/13) scoring two goals, including the game-winner, as the Friars picked up the fourth victory in conference play to place Providence in the BIG EAST Championship presented by Jeep as the No. 4 seed.
Veitner, Umstead and van Weezel were three of six unanimous All-BIG EAST First Team selections. Liberty’s Agueda Moroni, Old Dominion’s Danielle Grega and Providence’s Megan Hamilton were also uncontested first-team picks.
UConn’s Amanda Collins and Nina Klein, Liberty’s Jill Bolton and Ashley Dykema, Old Dominion’s Erin Huffman and Quinnipiac’s Lauren Belskie all gathered First Team All-BIG EAST recognition.
Including the 11-person All-BIG EAST Second Team, the Huskies led all teams with six all-league citations. The top-ranked Huskies claimed four first-team honors and two second-team recognitions. Liberty and Providence both listed four all-league honorees, followed by Old Dominion with three. Quinnipiac and Villanova each garnered two all-league praises, while Georgetown and Temple each earned one certificate.
All-BIG EAST First Team^
Amanda Collins, Connecticut, Jr., F/M
Nina Klein, Connecticut, R-Sr., GK
Casey Umstead, Connecticut, Sr., M/B*
Charlotte Veitner, Connecticut, Sr., F*
Jill Bolton, Liberty, Fr., MF
Ashley Dykema, Liberty, Fr., B
Agueda Moroni, Liberty, So., F/M*
Danielle Grega, Old Dominion, Sr., MF*
Erin Huffman, Old Dominion, So., F
Megan Hamilton, Providence, Sr., MF*
Manon van Weezel, Providence, Fr., B*
Lauren Belskie, Quinnipiac, Sr., B
^extra player added due to a tie in voting
All-BIG EAST Second Team
Margot van Hecking Colenbrander, Connecticut, Fr., B
Karlie Heistand, Connecticut, Sr., M/B
Anna Farley, Georgetown, Fr., M/B
Allison Schaefer, Liberty, So., GK
Julia van Dorsten, Old Dominion, R-Sr., MF
Megan Guilbert, Providence, Sr., GK
Corinne Kenney, Providence, Jr., B
Elisa Ruiz Martinez, Quinnipiac, Jr., MF
Rachael Mueller, Temple, Sr., F
Fresca Bello, Villanova, Sr., F
Erika Miller, Villanova, Jr., GK
Offensive Player of the Year
Charlotte Veitner, Connecticut, Sr., F
Defensive Player of the Year
Casey Umstead, Connecticut, Sr., M/B*
Freshman of the Year
Manon van Weezel, Providence, Fr., B
Coaching Staff of the Year
Connecticut
*Unanimous