NEW YORK, N.Y. – The BIG EAST Conference announced its regular season awards, and five members of the Old Dominion field hockey team were recognized for their outstanding performances this year.
Seniors Rebecca Birch and Erin Huffman were each named to the All-BIG EAST First Team, while junior Marlee McClendon, sophomore Cam MacGillivray and freshman Nicole Fredricks all earn their first all-conference honor with their selection to the All-BIG EAST Second Team.
This is the second year in a row that Birch has been placed on the All-BIG EAST First Team, as the back has led the Monarch defense to five shutout victories. Birch is also very successful on the offensive side of the ball, as she leads the Monarchs in both goals and points, with nine and 25, respectively.
In the conference ranks, the United Kingdom native is tied for fourth in goals, tied for fifth in points and tied for third with three game-winning goals. Birch was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on September 16, and was named to the Weekly Honor Roll five times this season. She was also one of just two unanimous selections to First Team.
Huffman lands on the All-BIG EAST First Team for the third-consecutive year. She finished the regular season second on the team with eight goals and 17 points. The Pennsylvania native led the teams in shots with 44, a mark that places her eighth in the conference, while her 0.53 goals per game average is good for fifth in the conference. She was also named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll once this season. Huffman is one of just three players that was selected for the All-BIG EAST First Team for the third time, joining Liberty’s Ashley Dykema and Jill Bolton.
Both Birch and Huffman were named alternates to the Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Senior Game, which will take place on Friday, November 22 at Ketner Stadium on the campus of Wake Forest. It will begin after the conclusion of the NCAA Division I semifinal games.
McClendon, along with being a leader on the stout Monarch defense, also has a knack for setting up scoring opportunities, as she leads her team and ranks tied for fourth in the conference with nine assists on the season.
MacGillivray played every minute in goal for the Monarchs this season, earning 10 wins and posting five shutouts. She has stopped 61 shots, putting her in a tie for fifth in the conference while her goals against average of 1.50 per game is good for fourth. Earlier this season, MacGillivray was named the Synapse Sports Defensive Player of the Week on September 18.
In her freshman season, Fredricks earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors four times throughout the year for her work on the defensive side of the ball. The West Chester, Pa. native was never substituted out of a game and tallied one goal and one defensive save.
To read the conference’s full release, click here.
These five Monarchs will look to keep their team’s season alive tomorrow, November 8 when ODU takes on Liberty in the semifinals of the BIG EAST Field Hockey Championship presented by Jeep. The game is scheduled to take place at 2:00 p.m. The winner will advance to the finals on Sunday, November 10 to face the winner of the No. 1 seed Connecticut vs. the No. 4 seed Providence semifinal match.
2019 BIG EAST Field Hockey Major Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Svea Boker, Connecticut, Sr., F ^
Defensive Co-Players of the Year
Cheyenne Sprecher, Connecticut, R-So., GK
Ashley Dykema, Liberty, Jr., B
Freshman of the Year
Daniella Rhodes, Liberty, Fr., F
Coaching Staff of the Year
Connecticut
2019 All-BIG EAST First Team
Cheyenne Sprecher, Connecticut, R-So., GK
Ashley Dykema, Liberty, Jr., B
Corinne Kenney, Providence, Grad., B
Rebecca Birch, Old Dominion, Sr., DM ^
Sophie Hamilton, Connecticut, Fr., M/B
Mary O'Reilly, Providence, Sr., M
Svea Boker, Connecticut, Sr., F ^
Jill Bolton, Liberty, Jr., F
Daniella Rhodes, Liberty, Fr., F
Erin Huffman, Old Dominion, Sr., F
Lydia Sydnor, Villanova, Sr., F
2019 All-BIG EAST Second Team
Cam MacGillivray, Old Dominion, R-So., GK
Lydia Rice, Providence, Grad., GK
Antonia Tiedke, Connecticut, Jr., B
Nicole Fredricks, Old Dominion, Fr., B
Marlee McClendon, Old Dominion, R-Jr., B
Dani Batze, Temple, Jr., D
Abby Gooderham, Connecticut, So., M
Bianca Strubbe, Quinnipiac, Grad., M
Michaela Bruno, Georgetown, Sr., F
Charlotte Vaanhold, Liberty, So., F
Izzy Mendez, Providence, Sr., F
^ Denotes unanimous selection