Josie Hollamon, Ella Gaitan and Annemijn Klijnhout picked up multiple awards.
Eight Maryland field hockey players took home All-Big Ten honors, it was announced Wednesday. With an 12-5 regular season record, the Terps earned a combined total of 11 awards, good for second-most in the conference.
The biggest recognition rewarded to a Terp was the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year, which Josie Hollamon won. The standout sophomore has five goals and five assists on the season and has helped Maryland allow just 15 goals in 17 games, good for second in the conference and fourth in the nation.
Hollamon was also named to the All-Big Ten first team alongside Emma DeBerdine and Hope Rose. Rose, who has 11 goals and two assists this year, was one of just eight unanimous selections across the conference for this recognition. This is the third conference first-team selection for DeBerdine and the second for Rose.
Four Terps were named to the All-Big Ten second team, the most of any program. Freshmen Ella Gaitan and Annemijn Klijnhout were the only first-year players to earn the honor. The pair were joined on the second team by sophomore goalkeeper Alyssa Klebasko and fifth-year Rayne Wright. This is the second straight season on the second team for Klebasko, while Wright was named to the first team last year.
Kylee Niswonger received the Big Ten Sportsmanship award for Maryland. The senior captain has 10 points on the season, including a hat trick against Lock Haven and a crucial assist in Maryland’s statement win over Michigan.
In the inaugural year of the Big Ten All-Freshman team, the Terps had two representatives in Gaitan and Klijnhout. Gaitan was the leading goalscorer among Big Ten freshmen with eight goals this season and, along with Klijnhout, has quickly asserted her spot as a mainstay in Maryland’s starting lineup.
“I’m just so proud of the depth of talent, the depth of hard work,” head coach Missy Meharg said. “But what’s more important is to applaud the team that they play on. Because without the team that they play with, they would never be honored in such a way.”
Maryland kicks off the first round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday against Iowa.