CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- After leading University of New Hampshire and University of Maine field hockey teams to two wins apiece over the weekend, a trio of players from the two teams have earned America East weekly honors for the week ending Sept. 16. The award winners were announced Monday afternoon.
The Wildcats' Hannah Richard and Megan Bozek earned Player and Defensive Player of the Week recognition, respectively, after leading UNH to two wins, including a 3-2 overtime victory over #7 Northeastern on Sunday. The Black Bears' Cassidy Svetek garnered Rookie of the Week accolades after totaling four goals in wins over Holy Cross and Pacific.
Richard (Hopkington, N.H.) had three goals and an assist for the 21st-ranked Wildcats last week to earn Player of the Week honors. The junior forward registered her first career multi-goal game, scoring twice in a 7-1 win over Pacific on Friday. She broke a 1-1 tie and started a string of six unanswered UNH goals with scores in the 9th and 14th minutes. Richard added her third score of the week in the win over the Huskies on Sunday, finding the back of the cage in the seventh minute. She then set up the game-tying goal, assisting on Bozek's goal with 5:47 left in regulation.
Bozek (Cortlandt Manor, N.H) led a Wildcat back line that allowed just three goals in their two wins last week as she picked up Defensive Player of the Week accolades for the first time. The junior back, who helped hold Pacific to just three shots on Friday, was instrumental in UNH's win over Northeastern as she held the nation's leading scorer, Crystal Poland, off the scoresheet and made a pair of defensive saves. Bozek also contributed offensively by sending the game to overtime with her late game-tying score.
Svetek (Burlington, Ontario) scored four times in just two games to earn Rookie of the Week recogntion. The freshman forward recorded her first career hat trick in a 6-0 win over Holy Cross on Friday, scoring the three tallies in a 5:48 span during the first half. Svetek saved her best for last as she scored the game-winning goal in the Black Bears' 3-2 overtime win vs. Pacific Sunday as she took Zoe Berkey's feed and found the back of the cage with just 19 seconds left in the extra session.
UNH has racked up three straight wins, while the Black Bears, who are tied for 23rd in the national rankings, have won four straight. Elsewhere on the weekend #20 University at Albany split a pair of game at Iowa, beating Missouri State, 3-0, on Friday before falling to the host Hawkeyes, who are ranked 14th, 2-1, Sunday. Fairfield University, which is tied for 23rd nationally, also split its games (1-0 win over Saint Louis Friday; 5-0 loss to #16 Michigan Sunday), while #11 Boston University fell at William & Mary, 1-0, and University of Vermont dropped a pair of games at Lock Haven.
America East is one of just two conferences (ACC) with five teams ranked nationally.
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 (Albany); 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)