UConn, No. 1 Seed at BIG EAST Championship
UConn's Pieper, Sprecher and ODU's Birch Earn #BIGEASTfh Weekly Honors
NEW YORK – Connecticut, which clinched the top seed in the BIG EAST Championship, has taken two of the three weekly field hockey awards. Cecile Pieper has been named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and goalkeeper Cheyenne Sprecher has been tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. Old Dominion’s Rebecca Birch has been chosen BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week.
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Cecile Pieper, Connecticut, Sr., B (Mannheim, Germany)
In a 2-0 weekend, Pieper recorded seven points on two goals and three assists. In a 6-1 victory over No. 19 Liberty that assured the Huskies of a No. 1 seed in the BIG EAST Championship, the senior scored a goal and added a career-high three assists. In a 2-1 win at No. 24 Boston U., Pieper scored on her only shot of the game. She leads the Huskies with 17 goals and 43 points.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Rebecca Birch, Old Dominion, Fr., B (Leeds, United Kingdom)
In a 3-0 win at Quinnipiac that improved ODU’s chances of gaining a spot in the BIG EAST Championship, Birch anchored a defense that held the Bobcats without a shot or a corner. She also scored a goal and added an assist. The shutout was the second straight for the Monarchs and fifth of the season.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Cheyenne Sprecher, Connecticut, Fr., GK, (Palmyra, Pa.)
Sprecher takes Freshman honors for the fourth time this season. She helped the UConn backline to two wins over ranked opponents. In a 6-1 triumph over No. 19 Liberty, she allowed just one goal and made seven saves against the Lady Flames who were averaging 3.66 goals per game. In a 2-1 win at No. 24 Boston U., Sprecher made three saves all in the final minute when BU took three penalty corners.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Mallory Fortenbaugh, Liberty, Jr., D (Millerstown, Pa.)
Fortenbaugh recorded her 10th assist of the season in a 2-1 victory against No. 11 Boston College. The junior was part of defensive effort that held the Eagles to one goal with BC averaging 2.80 goals going into the contest. Liberty held BC without a goal on 11 penalty corners.
Mary O’Reilly, Providence, Jr., M (Longmeadow, Mass.)
O’Reilly led the Friars to a 2-1 shootout victory at Georgetown which clinched a spot in the four-team BIG EAST Championship. The junior scored PC’s only goal in regulation and tallied the deciding goal in the shootout.
Erika Miller, Villanova, Sr., GK (Malvern, Pa.)
Miller helped Villanova to a 2-0 weekend by making 16 saves in the victories. In a 3-1 win over Temple, the senior recorded seven saves on 14 shots faced. In a 4-3 double-overtime win at Columbia, Miller had nine saves on 23 shots faced. Her season save total of 82 ranks second in the BIG EAST.