Patriot League Field Hockey Players of the Week Announced (9.30.24)

BETHLEHEM, Pa. Bucknell received two of the Patriot League's four weekly field hockey awards when the league office announced the awards 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 Bisons' 5-1 win over Holy Cross.

Bison junior defenseman 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 as she led a Bucknell defense that limited Holy Cross to six shots on goal in a 5-1 victory.

American graduate student Bryn Underwood received her second Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week in the past three weeks after making a combined 10 saves in shutout wins 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 win 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 received all received honorable mention mentions for their performances last week.

The Patriot League Hockey Players of the Week are selected by vote of League head coaches, who are not eligible to vote for their student-athletes.

Patriot League Field Hockey Standings 2024 (until September 30)

School	PL	PL Pct.	General	Total number of pieces.
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

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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 win over Holy Cross to help the Bison improve to 2-0 in league play.
*She scored the winning goal in the third quarter before adding Bucknell's third goal of the match later in the frame.
*The senior forward has 49 goals to move to 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 as she led a Bucknell defense that limited Holy Cross to one goal in a 5-1 win and improved to 2-0 in League play.
*She led a Bison defense that limited the Crusaders to six shots on goal in their second League win.
* Trailing 1-0, Leclerq scored the equalizer before assisting Neilson's go-ahead goal in the third quarter.

PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY KEEPER OF THE WEEK
Bryn Underwood, American, Gr., Goalkeeper, Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson

*Underwood recorded two shutouts, totaling ten saves, in the Americans' 1-0 wins against league rivals Lafayette and Penn.
*The Patriot League Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year made five saves to lift the Eagles to a 1-0 win in double overtime against the Leopards on Friday.
*On Sunday, she made five saves in a 1-0 win against the Quakers, recording her fourth shutout of the season.

PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Addison Jay, Boston University, Fr., Midfielder, Burlington, Mass./The Governors Academy
*Jay recorded her first collegiate point with an assist in Boston University's 3-0 win over Lehigh on Saturday.
*Her assist to Anderson came on a penalty corner for the first goal of the match in the first quarter.
*The freshman midfielder was also part of a defensive effort to hold 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 the Americans' 1-0 victory in Lafayette, moving to 1-0 in the league.

Tayla-Jade Weiss, American, Sr., Defender, Hillcrest, South Africa/Epworth
*Weiss was instrumental in America's shutout wins over Lafayette (1-0, 2OT) and Penn (1-0), limiting the Leopards and Quakers to 10 shots on goal in 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 first two goals of the game in Boston University's 3-0 win over Lehigh on Saturday. The senior defender scored in the final minute of the first quarter to extend her goal streak to four games. She added her second goal in the opening minute of the second half, with both goals coming from penalty corners.

Kate Thomason, Boston University, Gr., goalkeeper, Wellington, New Zealand/Samuel Marsden collegiate
*Thomason made seven saves and recorded her first shutout of the season in Boston University's 3-0 win over Lehigh, improving 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 win over Holy Cross, helping the Bison improve to 2-0 in league play. The second-year goalkeeper has a goals-against average of 1.48, which ranks second in the League.

Lineke Spaans, Lafayette, Sr., Midfielder, Sr., Midfielder, Bussum, The Netherlands/Vitus College
*Spanish 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 loss in double overtime.

Lena Thedrian, Lafayette, So., Defender, Hamburg, Germany/Rudolf Steiner School Hamburg-Wandsbek
*Thedrian was part of a Leopards defense that held American to one goal with 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, Sun., 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, father, D
9:30 Addison Jay, Boston University, Fr., M

ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE

Entering its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, the Patriot League continues to demonstrate that student-athletes can excel in both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League's athletic success is achieved as its member institutions remain committed to the founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes who are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is considered an important part of a well-rounded education.