CLEVELAND, Ohio – The Mid-American Conference has announced its Week 9 Field Hockey Award Winners, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Central Michigan freshman forward Carolena Ryon earned Offensive Player of the Week honors, while App State junior midfielder/defender Sophia Baxter and James Madison junior midfielder Ava Drexler-Amey each collected Co-Defensive Player of the Week accolades and Massachusetts senior Myrte van Herwijnen secured her fourth Goalkeeper of the Week recognition this year to solidify the penultimate round of weekly awards.
MAC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Carolena Ryon, Sophomore, Forward, Central Michigan
Factoryvill, Pa. (Lackawanna Trail)
Carolena Ryon recorded a hat-trick Friday, Oct. 24, in a 5-3 victory over Longwood. In the effort, Carolena scored her fourth game-winning goal of the season, tied for the second most in the conference. Ryon's three-goal performance ties her single-game career high, set in a 9-6 win over Long Island, Sept. 13. She now stands with the second most goals of any Chippewa, and is tied for seventh most goals in the conference.
MAC Field Hockey Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Sophia Baxter, Junior, Midfielder/Defender, App State
Sykesville, Md. (Marriots Ridge)
Sophia Baxter was an exceptional two-way threat for App State this week, anchoring the defense and contributing to the attack. Baxter recorded a crucial defensive save to prevent a goal in a battle against #6 Wake Forest. Baxter also tallied 1 goal and 2 points for the week, putting all four of her shots on goal to help drive the Mountaineer offense, while also scoring her 12th goal of the season in the win over Ball State.
MAC Field Hockey Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Ava Drexler-Amey, Junior, Midfielder, James Madison
Severna Park, Md. (Severna Park)
Ava Drexler-Amey registered the game-winning goal for the Dukes in a thrilling 3-2 double-overtime victory over Kent State on Sunday. The score marked the third goal of her career, and the first game-winning goal of her career. Drexler-Amey and the JMU defense held the Golden Flashes scoreless in the first half, limiting the Golden Flashes to one shot in the opening thirty minutes for the Dukes’ 12th first-half shutout of the season.
MAC Field Hockey Goalkeeper of the Week
Myrte van Herwijnen, Senior, Massachusetts
Huizen, The Netherlands (Laar & Berg)
Senior Myrte van Herwijnen allowed just one goal over two games including a 5-0 shutout win over MAC foe Bellarmine. The shutout marks her eighth of the season, good for first in the conference and top-five nationally. The Huizen, The Netherlands native made seven saves on the weekend, recording five against no. 4 Harvard, holding them to one goal for the first time this season.
