Iowa, Michigan State, Ohio State and Rutgers Earn Field Hockey Accolades

ROSEMONT, lll. – The Big Ten Conference has announced its Offensive, Defensive and Co-Freshman of the Week Award recipients for matches played Sept. 12-17.

Offensive Player of the Week

Dionne van Aalsum, Iowa

Fr. – M – Castricum, Netherlands – Bonhoeffer College

• Amassed five goals, four assists and 14 points in 82 minutes of action as top-ranked Iowa (8-0) recorded a pair of wins at Grant Field.

• Recorded third-straight hat trick and the game-winning goal in a 5-0 win over Vermont on Sept. 15

• Factored in five goals with two goals and three assists in Iowa’s 8-0 triumph of Merrimack on Sept. 17

• Leads the nation with 21 goals over eight contests, averaging 2.62 goals per game

• Earns second-straight Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week award 

Defensive Player of the Week

Sophia Howard, Rutgers

Jr. – GK – Auckland, New Zealand – St. Cuthbert’s College

• Recorded back-to-back shutouts for 10th-ranked Rutgers (8-0)

• Held No. 12 Penn State scoreless for 72 minutes, posting seven saves in a 1-0 double overtime win Sept. 15 in University Park, Pa.

• Extended shutout streak to 163 minutes in Rutgers’ home opener, a 2-0 win over La Salle on Sept. 17

• The two-year captain leads the Big Ten in save percentage (.848)

• Marks the second-straight defensive player award for Rutgers (Puck Winter, Sept. 11)

Co-Freshman of the Week

Cecily Charles, Michigan State

Fr. – GK – Millersville, Pa. – Penn Manor

• In her third career start, made 14 saves (including nine in the second half) in a 2-1 overtime loss to 17th-ranked Ohio State

• Turned away a fourth-quarter penalty stroke and helped the Spartan defense negate 19 penalty corners

• Her saves total was the highest in the Big Ten this year and sixth-most in the NCAA

• Redshirted last season, captures her first Big Ten freshman honor

• Last MSU Freshman of the Week: Ellie Rutherford (Sept. 13, 2021)

Co-Freshman of the Week

Brenna Bough, Ohio State

Fr. – F/M – Whitney Point, N.Y. – Whitney Point

• Scored two goals in Ohio State’s 5-1 win over No. 8 Michigan in Columbus on Sept. 15

• Found the back of the cage just 30 seconds into the second half to give No. 17 Ohio State a 3-0 lead, igniting the team’s first win against Michigan since 2011

• Played 49 minutes in a 2-1 overtime win at Michigan State to help Ohio State to a Big Ten weekend sweep

• Second-leading scorer for an Ohio State (8-1) team off to its best start since 2006

• Last OSU Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Mackenzie Allessie (Oct. 7, 2019)

2023 Big Ten Field Hockey Weekly Awards

Aug. 29

O: Emma O’Neill, Sr., MSU

D: Mia Magnotta, So., IOWA

F: Dionne van Aalsum, Fr., IOWA

Sept. 5

O: Makenna Webster, Sr., OSU

D: Annabel Skubisz, Sr., NU

F: Dionne van Aalsum, Fr., IOWA

Sept. 11

O: Dionne van Aalsum, Fr., IOWA

D: Annabel Skubisz, Sr., NU

D: Puck Winter, So., RU

F: Dionne van Aalsum, Fr., IOWA

Sept. 18

O: Dionne van Aalsum, Fr., IOWA

D: Sophia Howard, Jr., RU

F: Cecily Charles, Fr., MSU

F: Brenna Bough, Fr., OSU