CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- The America East field hockey regular-season wrapped up over of the weekend and three players that led their teams to wins are the conference's final weekly award winners for the 2012 season. The recipients for the week ending Oct. 28 were announced Monday afternoon.
Hannah Richard led New Hampshire to a 2-0 week by scoring three times and earned Player of the Week honors, while Vermont's Stephanie Zygmunt stopped 26 of 28 shots she faced to take home Defensive Player of the Week accolades and Boston University's Sofi Laurito scored in her team's win on Saturday to garner Rookie of the Week accolades.
Richard (Hopkinton, N.H.) scored three goals last week, including the game-winning tally at 25th-ranked Maine, to earn Player of the Week accolades for the second time this season. The win gave UNH the outright America East regular-season title and second unbeaten conference record in the past three years. Her goal in the 55th minute broke a 1-1 tie in the 2-1 win vs. the Black Bears. Richard, a junior forward, then scored consecutive goals in the 34th and 38th minutes of UNH's 5-4 overtime win at Dartmouth to help transform a two-goal deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Zygmunt (Wayne, N.J.) led Vermont to a 1-1 week over the weekend and recorded a stellar .929 save percentage in receiving Defensive Player of the Week honors. The junior goalkeeper kept her team in striking range in a 1-0 loss to Albany Saturday by making an America East-season high 18 saves. Zygmunt added eight stops in a 2-1 overtime win against Harvard in the season finale as Vermont picked up its second win of the year.
Laurito (Buenos Aires, Argentina) scored the Terriers' third goal in a 6-2 triumph over Fairfield Saturday to help the team finish in second place in the America East standings with a 4-1 conference record. The freshman picked up a deflected pass and recorded an unassisted goal from the middle of the circle in the 16th minute to give her team a 3-0 lead.
New Hampshire will host the America East Field Hockey Championship for the third straight year at Memorial Field beginning Thursday. The Wildcats will face fourth-seeded Fairfield at 2 p.m. and second-seeded Albany will take on third-seeded Maine at 5 p.m. The championship game will take place Sunday at 12 p.m. and will be streamed for free at AmericaEast.com. For complete championship information, visit Championship Central.
2012 Field Hockey Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 27 - Player of the Week: Jacinda McLeod (Boston U.); Defensive Player of the Week: Jess Maroney (Boston U.); Rookie of the Week: Liza Morgan (Albany)
Sept. 4 - Player of the Week: Felicitas Heinen (Fairfield); Defensive Player of the Week: Valentina Cerda Eimbcke (Boston U.); Rookie of the Week: Meg Carroll (New Hampshire)
Sept. 10 - Player of the Week: Felicitas Heinen (Fairfield); Defensive Player of the Week: Alicia Frisch (Maine); Rookie of the Week: Meg Flatley (New Hampshire)
Sept. 17 - Player of the Week: Hannah Richard (New Hampshire); Defensive Player of the Week: Megan Bozek (New Hampshire); Rookie of the Week: Cassidy Svetek (Maine)
Sept. 24 - Player of the Week: Annabelle Hamilton (Maine); Defensive Player of the Week: Jess Maroney (Boston U.); Rookie of the Week: Rachel Coll (Boston U.)
Oct. 1 - Player of the Week: Tabi Hatch (Boston U.); Defensive Player of the Week: Kristi Troch (Albany); Rookie of the Week: Cassidy Svetek (Maine)
Oct. 8 - Player of the Week: Ella Gunson (Boston U.); Defensive Player of the Week: Carlie Tarbell (New Hampshire); Rookie of the Week: Kelsey Bonner (Vermont)
Oct. 15 - Player of the Week: Jessica Longstreth (Albany); Defensive Player of the Week: Jess Maroney (Boston U.); Rookie of the Week: Rachel Coll (Boston U.)
Oct. 22 - Player of the Week: Jessica Longstreth (Albany:; Defensive Player of the Week: Carlie Tarbell (New Hampshire); Rookie of the Week: Kaitlyn Taddeo (Fairfield)
Oct. 29 - Player of the Week: Hannah Richard (New Hampshire); Defensive Player of the Week: Stephanie Zygmunt (Vermont); Rookie of the Week: Sofi Laurito (Boston U.)