Back in September FirstPoint USA and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) agreed on a partnership, which deemed FirstPoint USA being named the Official International Recruiting Sponsor of the association.
Fast forward three months and we are proud to congratulate all Division I and III Players of the Year.
DIVISION I
Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year
Clara Roth, Princeton University, Jr., Forward (Schwetzingen, Germany)
Roth, a unanimous First Team All-Ivy League selection, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region Player of the Year after a successful season with National Championship runners-up, Princeton University.
Roth led the Tigers in goals (16) and points (43) while leading the Ivy League in goals per game and points per game. Roth's goalscoring abilities helped the Tigers to their second-consecutive NCAA Final Four appearance, as well as the 2019 Ivy League title. She was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region First Team last week.
Mideast Region Player of the Year
Svea Boker, University of Connecticut, Sr., Forward (Bremen, Germany)
Boker, the 2019 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA Northeast Region Player of the Year after a stellar season with the University of Connecticut Huskies.
Boker led the Huskies and ranked fourth in the nation with 21 goals and 55 points. She was recognized as the BIG EAST Tournament Most Outstanding Player and was a First Team All-Conference selection — she was also named to the Longstreth/NFHCA Mideast Region First Team. Boker finishes her career at UCONN with 55 goals and 163 points.
Northeast Region Player of the Year
Bente van Vlijmen, Harvard University, Sr., Midfielder (Zeist, The Netherlands)
Van Vlijmen, the 2019 Ivy League Player of the Year and a unanimous First Team All-Ivy League selection, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA Northeast Region Player of the Year. At the end of Harvard's 2019 campaign, van Vlijmen led the Crimson in goals (13) and points (32). She was a Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game participant, and last week she was selected to the Longstreth/NFHCA Northeast Region First Team.
Van Vlijmen finishes her career with 45 goals and 104 points, putting her in second place on Harvard's all-time goals and points lists.
South Region Player of the Year
Erin Matson, University of North Carolina, So., Forward (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania)
Matson, the 2019 Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Offensive Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 NCAA National Championship Tournament, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA South Region Player of the Year.
Matson finished her sophomore season with 33 goals and 15 assists, for 81 points — her offensive prowess put her first in the nation in points per game and goals per game categories. The University of North Carolina, the 2019 NCAA National Champions, finished the season 23-0 — Matson contributed to over half of the Tar Heels 92 goals this season. Last week, she was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA South Region First Team.
West Region Player of the Year
Katie Birch, University of Iowa, Sr., Midfielder/Defender (York, England)
Birch, the Big Ten Tournament MVP and unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA West Region Player of the Year.
Birch led the University of Iowa to Big Ten regular-season and tournament championships, playing an integral role on both sides of the ball — she finished the season with 24 points and was an important piece of the Hawkeye defensive unit. She was a Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game participant, and last week she was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA West Region First Team.
The First Point USA/NFHCA Division I Regional Player of the Year announcement is the second in a list of postseason awards from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Last week the 2019 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-Region teams were announced and next to be released are Longstreth/NFHCA All-American Teams (December 10) and the First Point USA/NFHCA National Player of the Year (December 16).
DIVISION III
Great Lakes Region Player of the Year
Caroline Brotzge, Centre College, Sr., Midfielder (Louisville, Kentucky)
Brotzge has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA Great Lakes Region Player of the Year for 2019. The Southern Athletic Association (SAA) Defensive Player of the Year was essential on both sides of the ball in Centre College's historic 18-1 season. She finished the season with 38 points on 10 goals and 18 assists. Her 18 assists ranked third in the nation and set a new record at Centre and in the SAA.
In addition to being named to the All-SAA First Team, Brotzge was a Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division III Senior Game participant and was selected to the Longstreth/NFHCA Great Lakes Region First Team earlier this week.
New England West Region Player of the Year
Erin Nicholas, Middlebury College, Jr., Midfielder (Scarsdale, New York)
Nicholas, the 2019 NCAA National Championship Tournament's Most Outstanding Player, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA New England West Region Player of the Year.
This recognition is the most recent in a slew of awards for Nicholas, who — in addition to being crowned a 2019 NCAA National Champion — was also named the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) Player of the Year, was selected to the All-NESCAC First Team, and was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA New England West Region First Team earlier this week. Nicholas finished her junior campaign with 10 goals and six assists for 26 points.
North Atlantic Region Player of the Year
Morgan Mullen, Ithaca College, So., Forward (Cherryville, Pennsylvania)
Mullen, the Liberty League Offensive Performer of the Year, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA North Atlantic Region Player of the Year.
At the end of Ithaca's 2019 campaign, Mullen led the Bombers in goals (14) and points (30) — she also recorded four game-winning goals for Ithaca this season. She tied for first in most goals in the Liberty League this season and was selected to the All-Liberty League First Team. Earlier this week, she was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA North Atlantic Region First Team.
South Atlantic Region Player of the Year
Kayla Peterson, The College of New Jersey, Sr., Midfielder (Cream Ridge, New Jersey)
Peterson, the New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Midfielder of the Year, has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA South Atlantic Region Player of the Year. Peterson finished her senior season with eight goals and 16 assists for 32 points and, as a member of TCNJ's defensive penalty corner unit, contributed to eight shutouts this season.
In addition to being selected to the NJAC All-Conference First Team for the third consecutive year, she was also named to the Longstreth/NFHCA South Atlantic Region First Team for the second-consecutive year.
South Region Player of the Year
Melissa Gula, Franklin & Marshall College, Sr., Midfielder (Short Hills, New Jersey)
Gula has been named the First Point USA/NFHCA South Region Player of the Year after being named the Centennial Conference Defensive Player of the Year and landing on the All-CC First Team last month.
Gula was essential on both sides of the ball for the 2019 National Champion runners-up, Franklin & Marshall College. She was a part of a Diplomat defence that ranked 13th nationally in goals-against average (.083) and offensively she contributed 16 points this year with five goals and six assists. Earlier this week, Gula was named to the Longstreth/NFHCA South Region First Team.
The First Point USA/NFHCA Division III Regional Player of the Year announcement is the second in a list of postseason awards from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). Earlier this week the 2019 Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-Region teams were announced and next to be released are Longstreth/NFHCA Division III All-American Teams (December 11) and the First Point USA/NFHCA Division III National Player of the Year (December 16).
Congratulations to all of the winners! We are looking to see what 2020 brings us in the world of Field Hockey!
