BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lafayette claimed two of the four Patriot League Field Hockey weekly honors when the League office announced honors on Monday. Bucknell and Lehigh each collected one weekly award apiece.
 
Lafayette senior midfielder Audrey Sawers was named Patriot League Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week after compiling eight points on three goals and two assists to help the Leopards’ go 1-1 with a win over Indiana last week.
 
Lafayette senior goalkeeper Hailey Abbott received Patriot League Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Week for the second-consecutive week after posting a shutout against the Hoosiers and a six-save performance in a double-overtime loss to Ohio State.
 
Lehigh sophomore defender Erica Steele helped the Lehigh defense hold Bryant to just five shots, three on goal, and scored her first career goal in the Mountain Hawks’ 3-1 win to capture Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week honors.
 
Bucknell freshman defender Lily Neilson scored her second goal of the season in the Bison’s match against Villanova on Friday and was active on offense with six shots, including three on goal to capture Patriot League Rookie of the Week. 
 
Bucknell junior forward Kile Mackenzie and senior defender Erin Zielinski, Lehigh junior midfielder Sarah Bonthuis and Lafayette junior defender Simone Hefting received an honorable mention for their performances on Sunday.
 
2021 Patriot League Field Hockey Standings

School	PL	PL Pct.	Overall	Overall Pct.
Holy Cross	0-0	.000	1-0	1.000
Lafayette	0-0	.000	3-1	.750
Lehigh	0-0	.000	2-1	.667
Boston University	0-0	.000	2-2	.500
Bucknell	0-0	.000	2-2	.500
American	0-0	.000	1-2	.333
Colgate	0-0	.000	0-2	.000

 
This Week in Patriot League Field Hockey
Wednesday, Sept. 8
Cornell at Colgate (ESPN+) – 6 p.m.
 
Friday, Sept. 10
Lehigh at La Salle – 3 p.m.
Holy Cross at Northeastern (FloSports) – 4 p.m.
UMass Lowell at Boston University (ESPN+) – 6 p.m.
Yale at Lafayette (ESPN+) – 7 p.m.
American at Richmond (BTNPlus) – 7
 
Sunday, Sept. 12
Georgetown at Lehigh (ESPN+) – 11 a.m. p.m.
American at UMass (BTNPlus) – Noon
Colgate at Cornell (ESPN+) – Noon
Lafayette at Quinnipiac (ESPN3) – 1 p.m.
Boston University at Boston College (ACC Network) – 1 p.m.
Sacred Heart at Holy Cross (ESPN+) – 1 p.m.
Bucknell at Lock Haven – 1 p.m.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Audrey Sawers, Lafayette, Sr., Midfielder, North Vancouver, B.C., Canada/Handsworth
*Sawers totaled eight points on three goals and two assists to help Lafayette split a two-game road trip to Columbus, Ohio, including a win over Indiana.
*The senior midfielder had a hand in each of the Leopards’ goals, scoring twice and recording two assists in a 4-0 victory over Indiana on Sunday.
*She scored one goal in Lafayette’s 4-3 double-overtime loss to Ohio State on Friday.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Erica Steele, Lehigh, So., Defender, Laurys Station, Pa./Parkland
*Steele helped the Lehigh defense hold Bryant to five shots, three on goal, in the Mountain Hawks’ 3-1 victory on Sunday.
*The sophomore defender also scored her first career goal at the 17:40 mark in the second quarter to tie the game at one.
*Steele and the Mountain Hawks defense held the Bulldogs to one shot in the first half.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Hailey Abbott, Lafayette, Sr., Goalkeeper, Malaga, N.J./Delsea Regional
*Abbott made eight saves in two games with a .667 save percentage to help Lafayette split a pair of games against Big Ten opponents last week.
*She made two saves in Lafayette’s 4-0 shutout against Indiana on Sunday.
*The senior goalkeeper made six saves, including three in overtime, in the Leopards 4-3 double-overtime loss to Ohio State on Friday.
 
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Lily Neilson, Bucknell, Fr., Defender, New South Wales, Australia/The Armidale School
*Neilson tallied her second goal of the season, finding the back of the cage in the Bison’s 3-1 loss to Villanova.
*The freshman defender put pressure on opposing defenses in both of Bucknell’s games, combine for six shots and three shots on goal over two games.
*Neilson led Bucknell with three shots in their 2-1 win over Temple on Sunday.
 
HONORABLE MENTION
Kile Mackenzie, Bucknell, Jr., Forward, Mountain Top, Pa./Crestwood
*Mackenzie scored the game-tying goal and registered an assist on the game-winning goal in Bucknell’s 2-1 win over Temple on Sunday.  
 
Erin Zielinski, Bucknell, Sr., Defender, Downingtown, Pa./Villa Maria Academy
*Zielinski posted an assist in Bucknell’s loss to Villanova on Friday and anchored a Bison defense that held Temple to one goal in a 2-1 victory on Sunday.
 
Simone Hefting, Lafayette, Jr., Defender, Den Bosch, Netherlands/Stedelijk Gymnasium Den Bosch
*Hefting posted a dominant performance on the defensive side of the field in Lafayette’s 4-0 shutout over Indiana on Sunday.
 
Sarah Bonthuis, Lehigh, Jr., Midfielder, Oud-Beijerland, Netherlands/HC Hoeksche Waard
*Bonthuis finished with one goal and one assist to lead the Mountain Hawks to a 3-1 victory over Bryant on Sunday. The win snapped Lehigh’s two-game losing streak to the Bulldogs.  
 
 
Offensive Player of the Week
8.30 – Lenke Havas, Lehigh, Gr.
9.6 – Audrey Sawers, Lafayette, Sr.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
8.30 – Charllene Boshoff, American, Jr.
9.6 – Erica Steele, Lehigh, So.
 
Goalkeeper of the Week
8.30 – Hailey Abbott, Lafayette, Sr.
9.6 – Hailey Abbott, Lafayette, Sr.
 
Rookie of the Week
8.30 – Payton Anderson, Boston University, Fr.
9.6 – Lily Neilson, Bucknell, 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.