Davidson Sweeps NorPac Offensive and Rookie Player of the Week Awards
10/28/2008 5:24:43 PM | Field Hockey
DAVIDSON, N.C. - After leading the Davidson field hockey team to a pair of wins this past week, the Wildcats brought home two NorPac weekly honors, with senior Britti Himelfarb being named Offensive Player of the Week, and freshman Kathelijn van der Ven winning Rookie of the Week for the second time this season, as announced by the conference office today.
Himelfarb had an explosive final two home games of her career over the past week, putting together back-to-back two-goal performances, helping the 'Cats put together a 2-0 week. Against Appalachian State on Wednesday, she had a hand in three of the team's five goals, opening up the scoring for the Wildcats in the 12th minute when she connected on a chip shot that went over the right shoulder of the Appalachian goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
She closed out the offensive night with her second goal of the game and her fifth of the season, a five-yard shot from the middle of the penalty circle that was set up from a crossing pass by van der Ven to put the 'Cats up 5-1. She also added an assist on the team's second goal, giving her five on the year, second-highest on the team.
Then on her Senior Day against Radford, she went out in grand fashion, scoring the team's only two goals in a 2-1 win over the Highlanders. After a scoreless first 34:28 of play, Himelfarb gathered a deflected shot on the left side of the goal and fired in an strike into the back of the net to put Davidson up, 1-0, with 32 seconds to play in the first half, then put in the game-winner in the 45th minute for her career-high seventh goal of the year, tops on the team, and now is leading the squad with 19 points.
This is the first NorPac award of the Dallas, Texas native's stellar career in the red and black, in which she has amassed 19 assists, the second-highest total in school history, and 17 goals in four seasons. Her eight assists in 2007 set a single-season school record, and she now holds three of the top six spots on the season assist total list.
Van der Ven, who has put together a strong freshman campaign, continued her first-year impact this week, scoring four points in two games. In the win over Appalachian State, van der Ven assisted on the team's opening goal by Himelfarb, when she sent in a crossing pass into the middle of the circle that Himelfarb finished to put Davidson up, 1-0. She then put in her fourth goal of the year in the 58th minute.
The Arnhem, The Netherlands native added another assist in the 'Cats first NorPac win of the season, a 2-1 triumph over Radford, her team-leading seventh of the season. She now has 14 points on the season, second-highest on the team, and is in the top three on the squad in six offensive categories, holding the top spot in assists, game-winning goals, shots on goal, and shots, while also being just one of two players who have started all 18 games on the season.
Himelfarb becomes the first Wildcat to take home an Offensive Player of the Week since former Davidson player Kayli Maxwell won in 2007. This is the second Rookie of the Week award for van der Ven, who also was honored for her performance in leading the Wildcats to an undefeated week of Sept. 9, becoming the first two-time Rookie of the Week winner for Davidson since Maxwell accomplished the feat in the 2004 season.
These two players will look to lead the 'Cats to their fourth-straight victory when they travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on the defending National Champion North Carolina Tar Heels on Nov. 2. Start time for Davidson's regular-season finale is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Himelfarb had an explosive final two home games of her career over the past week, putting together back-to-back two-goal performances, helping the 'Cats put together a 2-0 week. Against Appalachian State on Wednesday, she had a hand in three of the team's five goals, opening up the scoring for the Wildcats in the 12th minute when she connected on a chip shot that went over the right shoulder of the Appalachian goalkeeper and into the back of the net.
She closed out the offensive night with her second goal of the game and her fifth of the season, a five-yard shot from the middle of the penalty circle that was set up from a crossing pass by van der Ven to put the 'Cats up 5-1. She also added an assist on the team's second goal, giving her five on the year, second-highest on the team.
Then on her Senior Day against Radford, she went out in grand fashion, scoring the team's only two goals in a 2-1 win over the Highlanders. After a scoreless first 34:28 of play, Himelfarb gathered a deflected shot on the left side of the goal and fired in an strike into the back of the net to put Davidson up, 1-0, with 32 seconds to play in the first half, then put in the game-winner in the 45th minute for her career-high seventh goal of the year, tops on the team, and now is leading the squad with 19 points.
This is the first NorPac award of the Dallas, Texas native's stellar career in the red and black, in which she has amassed 19 assists, the second-highest total in school history, and 17 goals in four seasons. Her eight assists in 2007 set a single-season school record, and she now holds three of the top six spots on the season assist total list.
Van der Ven, who has put together a strong freshman campaign, continued her first-year impact this week, scoring four points in two games. In the win over Appalachian State, van der Ven assisted on the team's opening goal by Himelfarb, when she sent in a crossing pass into the middle of the circle that Himelfarb finished to put Davidson up, 1-0. She then put in her fourth goal of the year in the 58th minute.
The Arnhem, The Netherlands native added another assist in the 'Cats first NorPac win of the season, a 2-1 triumph over Radford, her team-leading seventh of the season. She now has 14 points on the season, second-highest on the team, and is in the top three on the squad in six offensive categories, holding the top spot in assists, game-winning goals, shots on goal, and shots, while also being just one of two players who have started all 18 games on the season.
Himelfarb becomes the first Wildcat to take home an Offensive Player of the Week since former Davidson player Kayli Maxwell won in 2007. This is the second Rookie of the Week award for van der Ven, who also was honored for her performance in leading the Wildcats to an undefeated week of Sept. 9, becoming the first two-time Rookie of the Week winner for Davidson since Maxwell accomplished the feat in the 2004 season.
These two players will look to lead the 'Cats to their fourth-straight victory when they travel to Chapel Hill, N.C. to take on the defending National Champion North Carolina Tar Heels on Nov. 2. Start time for Davidson's regular-season finale is scheduled for 2 p.m.
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