BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Bucknell received two of the four Patriot League field hockey weekly awards when the League office announced honors on Monday. American and Boston University each received one award.
Bucknell senior forward Lily Neilson captured Patriot League Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week after scoring two goals in the Bison’s 5-1 win against Holy Cross.
Bison junior defender Kira Leclercq claimed her third Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week of the season, finishing with seven points on three goals and one assist while leading a Bucknell defense that limited Holy Cross to six shots on goal in a 5-1 win.
American graduate student Bryn Underwood received her second Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week in the last three weeks after combining to make 10 saves in shutout victories against Lafayette (1-0, 2OT) and Penn (1-0).
Boston University freshman midfielder Addison Jay earned Patriot League Rookie of the Week honors after recording an assist in the Terriers’ 3-0 victory against Lehigh on Saturday.
American senior midfielder Agustina Roffo and senior defender Tayla-Jade Weiss, Boston University senior defender Payton Anderson and graduate student goalkeeper Kate Thomason, Bucknell senior forward Lily Neilson and sophomore goalkeeper Sarah Althouse, Lafayette senior midfielder Lineke Spaans and sophomore defender Lena Thedrian all received honorable mentions for their performances last week.
The Patriot League field hockey players of the week are selected in a vote by League head coaches, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.
2024 Patriot League Field Hockey Standings (through Sept. 30)
| School |
PL |
PL Pct. |
Overall |
Overall Pct. |
| Bucknell |
2-0 |
1.000 |
4-5 |
.444 |
| American |
1-0 |
1.000 |
5-5 |
.500 |
| Lafayette |
1-1 |
.500 |
5-4 |
.556 |
| Lehigh |
1-1 |
.500 |
5-4 |
.556 |
| Boston University |
1-1 |
.500 |
4-4 |
.500 |
| Colgate |
0-1 |
.000 |
2-6 |
.250 |
| Holy Cross |
0-2 |
.000 |
4-4 |
.500 |
ONLINE SCHEDULE |
ONLINE STATS
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Lily Neilson, Bucknell, Sr., Forward, Armidale, New South Wales, Australia/The Armidale School
*Neilson scored two goals in Bucknell’s 5-1 victory over Holy Cross to help the Bison improve to 2-0 in League play.
*She scored the game-winning goal in the third quarter before adding Bucknell’s third goal of the game later in the frame.
*The senior forward has 49 goals to move into ninth on the Patriot League career list and second in Bucknell program history.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kira Leclercq, Bucknell, Jr., Defender, Berlin, Germany/Vicco von Bulow Gymnasium Stahnsdorf
*Leclercq recorded her first collegiate hat trick and added an assist while leading a Bucknell defense that limited Holy Cross to one goal in a 5-1 victory to improve to 2-0 in League play.
*She led a Bison defense that limited the Crusaders to six shots on goal during their second League win.
*Trailing 1-0, Leclerq scored the game-tying goal before assisting Neilson’s go-ahead goal in the third quarter.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
Bryn Underwood, American, Gr., Goalkeeper, Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson
*Underwood posted two shutouts, combining to make 10 saves, in American’s 1-0 victories against League rival Lafayette and Penn.
*The Patriot League Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year made five saves to lift the Eagles to a 1-0 double-overtime victory against the Leopards on Friday.
*On Sunday, she made five saves in a 1-0 win against the Quakers to record her fourth shutout of the season.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Addison Jay, Boston University, Fr., Midfielder, Burlington, Mass./The Governor’s Academy
*Jay recorded her first collegiate point with an assist in Boston University’s 3-0 victory over Lehigh on Saturday.
*Her assist to Anderson came off a penalty corner for the first goal of the game in the first quarter.
*The freshman midfielder was also part of a defensive effort to keep Lehigh’s offense scoreless for the first time this season.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Agustina Roffo, American, Sr., Midfielder, Bernal, Argentina/Holmberg Schule-Colegio Aleman de Quilmas
*Roffo scored her first goal of the season in double overtime of American’s 1-0 victory at Lafayette to move to 1-0 in League play.
Tayla-Jade Weiss, American, Sr., Defender, Hillcrest, South Africa/Epworth
*Weiss was instrumental in American’s shutout victories against Lafayette (1-0, 2OT) and Penn (1-0), limiting the Leopards and Quakers to 10 shots on goal through two games. Weiss and the Eagles’ defense held the Leopards to one shot in the two overtime periods to improve to 1-0 in League play. The Eagles defense limited the Quakers to one shot after halftime.
Payton Anderson, Boston University, Sr., Defender, Christchurch, New Zealand/Burnside
*Anderson scored the game’s first two goals in Boston University’s 3-0 victory over Lehigh on Saturday. The senior defender scored in the final minute of the first quarter to extend her goal-scoring streak to four games. She added her second goal in the first minute of the second half, with both goals coming off penalty corners.
Kate Thomason, Boston University, Gr., Goalkeeper, Wellington, New Zealand/Samuel Marsden Collegiate
*Thomason made seven saves to record her first shutout of the season in Boston University’s 3-0 victory over Lehigh to improve to 1-1 in League play. She made three saves in each of the second and third quarters to protect the Terriers’ lead.
Sarah Althouse, Bucknell, So., Goalkeeper, Reading, Pa./Muhlenberg
*Althouse made five saves and allowed one goal in Bucknell’s 5-1 victory over Holy Cross to help the Bison improve to 2-0 in League play. The sophomore goalkeeper has a 1.48 goals-against average, ranking second in the League.
Lineke Spaans, Lafayette, Sr., Midfielder, Sr., Midfielder, Bussum, The Netherlands/Vitus College
*Spaans recorded one assist in the Leopards’ loss at No. 19 Penn State on Sunday. She was also part of a Lafayette defensive effort that limited American to four shots on goal and three corners in a 1-0 double-overtime loss.
Lena Thedrian, Lafayette, So., Defender, Hamburg, Germany/Rudolf Steiner Schule Hamburg-Wandsbek
*Thedrian was part of a Leopards’ defense that held American to one goal on four shots on goal in a 1-0 double-overtime loss on Friday. She also helped Lafayette limit No. 19 Penn State to seven shots on goal and four corners in a 5-1 loss.
Offensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Lineke Spaans, Lafayette, Sr., M
9.9 – Katie Devine, Boston University, Sr., D
9.16 – Jordan Reicher, American, So., F
9.23 – Lily Neilson, Bucknell, Sr., F
9.30 – Lily Neilson, Bucknell, Sr., F
Defensive Player of the Week
9.2 – Lena Thedrian, Lafayette, So., D
9.9 – Kira Leclercq, Bucknell, Jr., D
9.16 – Tayla-Jade Weiss, American, D
9.23 – Julia Gatelein, Lehigh, 5th, M
9.30 - Kira Leclercq, Bucknell, Jr., D
Goalkeeper of the Week
9.2 – Raffi Fragomeni, Lafayette, Jr., GK
9.9 – Sarah Althouse, Bucknell, So., GK
9.16 – Bryn Underwood, American, Gr., GK
9.23 – Raffi Fragomeni, Lafayette, Jr., GK
9.30 - Bryn Underwood, American, Gr., GK
Rookie of the Week
9.2 – Jocelyn Monti, Holy Cross, Fr., F
9.9 – Olivia Morraye, American, Fr., D
9.16 – Mia McCloskey, Holy Cross, Fr., GK
9.23 – Olivia Morraye, American, Fr., D
9.30 – Addison Jay, Boston University, Fr., M
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.