Big Ten Conference Announces Field Hockey Postseason Honors

ROSEMONT, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference released its individual award winners, All-Big Ten teams, All-Freshman Team and Sportsmanship Award recipients for field hockey on Wednesday on the eve of the 2025 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament presented by Allstate.

Northwestern collected five of the six individual awards and led all schools with eight all-conference selections. Voting was conducted by conference head coaches.

Northwestern’s Maddie Zimmer was a unanimous selection as Player of the Year for the second-straight year while teammate Ashley Sessa received the Offensive Player of the Year for the second-consecutive season. Ilse Tromp of Northwestern was chosen Defensive Player of the Year and the Wildcats’ Juliana Boon selected as Goalkeeper of the Year. Maryland’s Jordyn Hollamon received the Freshman of the Year Award. Tracey Fuchs of Northwestern was named Coach of the Year for the third time in as many seasons.

The reigning national player of the year, Zimmer exceled at both ends of the field for a Northwestern squad that outscored opponents, 62-8, during the regular season. The midfielder started all 17 games, compiling 16 points in leading Northwestern to the Big Ten regular season title.

A junior forward, Sessa produced a conference-best 14 goals and 35 points in Big Ten play, winning the conference scoring title by 17 points. Her goals total was the highest since 1996 and her points total the most in 33 seasons dating to 1992. Overall, she stands second in NCAA scoring, averaging 3.19 points per game over 16 contests.

Tromp has anchored the stingiest defense in the country with the Wildcats allowing only eight goals in 17 games. Playing primarily at back, the junior was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29 and later added Defensive Player of the Week honors as well as a National Defensive Player of the Week Award from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA).

In her first year as a starter, Boon recorded nine shutouts and produced a 16-1 record in the cage. She leads the NCAA in goals-against average (0.48) and is a co-leader in save percentage (.864). The redshirt first-year captured four Big Ten weekly awards this season (2-defensive, 2-freshman).

Hollamon averaged a point per game as the leading freshman scorer (eight points) during the conference season. She was a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week honoree and becomes the seventh Terrapin in 12 seasons to be named Freshman of the Year.

Fuchs receives her fourth Coach of the Year Award. Now in her 17th season at Northwestern, Fuchs led her team to a 16-1 overall record, an 8-0 conference mark, and a No. 2 ranking in the NFHCA National Coaches Poll. NU went undefeated in conference play for the third-straight season, extending its Big Ten win streak to 28 games.

Seven players on the All-Big Ten First Team were unanimous picks: Zimmer (second-straight year), Sessa (second-straight), and Tromp along with Iowa’s Dionne van Aalsum, Maryland’s Josie Hollamon, Michigan’s Abby Tamer (second-straight) and Ohio State’s Makenna Webster (second-straight). Zimmer earns all-conference first team honors for the fifth time, joining Penn State’s Sophia Gladieux as the only players in history to accomplish that feat.

The Big Ten also recognized nine Sportsmanship Award winners. The award is given to student-athletes at each institution who distinguish themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These students of good academic standing have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.

Listed below are this year’s award honorees:

Player of the Year
Maddie Zimmer +, Gr., M, Northwestern

Offensive Player of the Year
Ashley Sessa, Jr., F, Northwestern

Defensive Player of the Year
Ilse Tromp, Jr., B/M, Northwestern

Goalkeeper of the Year
Juliana Boon, R-Fr., G, Northwestern

Freshman of the Year
Jordyn Hollamon, Fr., F, Maryland

Coach of the Year
Tracey Fuchs, Northwestern

+ unanimous selection

All-Big Ten, First Team

All-Big Ten, Second Team

All-Freshman Team

Sportsmanship Award