Story courtesy of MAC Athletic Communications Departments
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The National Field Hockey Coaches’ Association unveiled its 2025 Collegiate All-American Teams this week, with a trio of Mid-American Conference student-athletes earning national recognition for their play throughout the season.
Miami senior Berta Mata was named Second-Team All-America and RedHawk freshman Malena Sabez earned Third-Team All-America honors, while Massachusetts senior Gabrielle Benkenstein also garnered All-America Third Team accolades.
It's the first-time in program history two RedHawks were named NFHCA All-Americans in the same year. Mata becomes the first RedHawk to earn second-team All-American status in program history and ranks behind just Paula Portugal's first-team honor in 2022. Sabez is the sixth RedHawk to be named third-team.
Mata, the 2025 MAC Defensive Player of the Year finished the season with eight goals, 22 assists and 38 points in 20 games played. The 22 assists are a new single-season school record, smashing the previous-high of 17, set by Carlie Servis in 2024. She also finished her career with 41 assists, a new school record. The graduate student posted a career-high three goals in a win over Bellarmine and had multiple assists in five different games in 2025. She also registered at least one point in 14 games this past year.
Sabez finished the year with 25 goals, second most in the country and scored at least one goal in 15 different contests. Her 25 goals are second-most in program history for a single season. She scored five goals in a win over Ball State and added a hat trick at Kent State earlier this year. The Mendoza, Argentina native, scored four goals over a three-game stretch in the MAC Tournament and added goals versus No. 4 Virginia and Northwestern in the NCAA Tournament. Sabez was also named MAC Offensive Player of the Year and first-team All-MAC.
Benkenstein earned the first All-America honor of her career as she was among 48 Division I student-athletes recognized. An All-MAC First Team selection, Benkenstein appeared in 17 games with 14 starts in 2025 and logged 16 points on three goals and 10 assists to rank third on the squad in scoring. She ended the year fourth in the MAC in assists per-game (0.59), good for 23rd nationally. Over four seasons with the Minutewomen, the Hilton, South Africa, native registered 30 points on nine goals and 12 assists.
