BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Four teams split the four Patriot League Field Hockey weekly honors when the League office announced the first round of honors for the 2021 season. American, Boston University, Lafayette and Lehigh each collected one award.
Lehigh graduate student midfielder Lenke Havas was named the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week after recording her first career hat trick in a 3-2 win over Longwood on Sunday.
American junior defender Charllene Boshoff scored the game-winning goal against No. 23 VCU and was part of a backline that helped the Eagles split a pair of games against ranked opponents to capture defensive player of the week honors.
Lafayette senior goalkeeper Hailey Abbott helped the Leopards to an undefeated start with wins over Hofstra (2-0) and Villanova (4-1) to claim Goalkeeper of the Week.
Boston University freshman Payton Anderson recorded three points on one goal and one assist during the season's first weekend to capture Patriot League Rookie of the Week.
American graduate student midfielder Noor Coenen, Boston University sophomore midfielder Thalia Steenssens, Lafayette junior defender Simone Hefting and senior forward Molly McAndrew and Holy Cross senior defender Caitlin Little received an honorable mention for her performance on Sunday.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lenke Havas, Lehigh, Gr., Midfielder, Maastricht, Netherlands/Sint-Maartenscollege
*Havas recorded her first career hat trick in Lehigh’s 3-2 victory over Longwood on Sunday.
*The graduate student midfielder gave the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead with a goal at the 8:04 mark in the first quarter. She broke a 1-1 tie with her second goal in the third quarter before adding an insurance goal three minutes later.
*Her three-goal performance was the first by a Mountain Hawk since Gabby Tofig accomplished the feat in October 2016.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Charllene Boshoff, American, Jr., Defender, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa/St. John’s D.S.G
*Boshoff scored the game-winning goal in American’s 2-1 overtime victory over No. 23 VCU while helping the Eagles’ backline hold the Rams to just three shots after halftime.
*The junior defender was part of a backline that held No. 18 Old Dominion to six shots on goal in a 3-2 overtime loss to the Monarchs.
*Boshoff and the Eagles’ defensive effort allowed the team to post more shots on goal than their opponent in each game last weekend.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Hailey Abbott, Lafayette, Sr., Goalkeeper, Malaga, N.J./Delsea Regional
*Abbott went 2-0 during the opening weekend with wins over Hofstra (2-0) and Villanova (4-1), while posting a .857 save percentage.
*The senior goalkeeper made one save in a shutout win over Hofstra on Friday.
*She made five saves and allowed one goal in the Leopards’ victory over the Wildcats on Sunday.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Payton Anderson, Boston University, Fr., Forward, Christchurch, New Zealand/Burnside
*Anderson assisted the Terriers’ game-winning goal in their season-opening 2-1 victory over Monmouth.
*Her first collegiate goal tied the game at 1-1 in the Terriers’ eventual 2-1 loss against Providence on Sunday.
*The freshman forward tallied 10 shots across her first two collegiate contests.
HONORABLE MENTION
Noor Coenen, American, Gr., Midfielder, Naarden, Netherlands/Laar en Berg
*The defending Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year assisted the game-winning goal in the Eagles’ 2-1 overtime win over No. 23 VCU on Friday, before adding one goal and one assist in an overtime loss to No. 18 Old Dominion on Sunday.
Thalia Steenssens, Boston University, So., Midfielder, Reet, Belgium/Sint-Ritacollege
*Steenssens scored the game-winning goal and assisted in Boston University’s 2-1 victory over Monmouth in Friday’s season opener.
Simone Hefting, Lafayette, Jr., Defender, Den Bosch, Netherlands/Stedelijk Gymnasium Den Bosch
*Hefting posted an assist in the Leopards’ victory over Hofstra on Friday while helping the defense allow a combined 10 shots and seven shots on goal during a 2-0 weekend.
Molly McAndrew, Lafayette, Sr., Forward, Cherry Hill, N.J./Paul VI
*McAndrew scored two goals and assisted on another goal in the Leopards’ 4-1 victory over Villanova on Sunday.
Caitlin Little, Holy Cross, Sr., Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough Regional
*Little recorded an assist and anchored a Holy Cross backline that held Saint Francis (Pa.) to two shots in a 3-0 season-opening win. It was the Crusaders’ first season-opening win since 2016 and the first shutout since 2019.
Offensive Player of the Week
8.30 – Lenke Havas, Lehigh, Gr.
Defensive Player of the Week
8.30 – Charllene Boshoff, American, Jr.
Goalkeeper of the Week
8.30 – Hailey Abbott, Lafayette, Sr.
Rookie of the Week
8.30 – Payton Anderson, Boston University, Fr.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.