Minutewomen Claim Four Major A-10 Awards To Highlight Haul Of End-Of-Season Honors

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Head Coach Barb Weinberg highlighted an impressive haul of 16 All-Conference awards including four of the five major end-of-season awards for Massachusetts, the Atlantic 10 announced Friday morning. Myrte van Herwijnen earned Goalkeeper of The Year honors for the second consecutive season, while Paula Lorenzini claimed Defensive Player of The Year. Freshman Elani Sherwood earned equal recognition, receiving Rookie of The Year selection.

?????? ?????????? ??

Coach Weinberg takes home @atlantic10 Coach of The Year honors after leading the Minutewomen to their first A-10 Regular Season Championship since 2014!!

??https://t.co/QZl9LgUczH | #Flagship?? pic.twitter.com/NsZlyljIMK
— UMass Field Hockey (@UMassFH) November 8, 2024

The Minutewomen also collected 12 honors across All-Conference, first, second, rookie and academic teams. Graduate students Claire Danahy and Elena Clococeanu joined van Herwijnen as first-team selections, while Lorenzini, Sherwood, Dempsey Campbell and Hannah de Gast each received second-team honors. Freshman Cara Falconer was selected to the All-Rookie squad with Sherwood. Van Herwijnen, Danahy and Savanna Henderson rounded out the awards being named to the All-Academic team.

Time to hand out hardware! We're excited and proud to honor 45 #A10FH Players with the Field Hockey End of Season Awards!

Congratulations to our winners!

?? STORY: https://t.co/dT3p1rWRTk

??AWARDS LIST: https://t.co/By8mQgh8vw pic.twitter.com/LGKRUW1E8v
— Atlantic 10 Conference (@atlantic10) November 8, 2024

Head Coach Barb Weinberg receives her second A-10 Coach of The Year honor and first outright. Weinberg led the Minutewomen to their first Atlantic 10 Regular Season Championship since 2014, securing an undefeated 7-0 record in conference play. The undefeated record is the first for the program since 2013.

Myrte van Herwijnen earned back-to-back Goalkeeper of The Year honors after completing a regular season which saw her receive three straight Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week honors and NFHCA Division 1 National Defensive Player of the Week recognition. The Huizen, Netherlands native ended the regular season ranking first in the A-10 and fourth nationally with a .804 save percentage. Van Herwijnen anchored a Massachusetts defensive unit which ranks tied for no. 5 nationally and no.1 in the A-10 with eight shutouts on the season.

Paula Lorenzini took home her first Defensive Player of The Year award after serving as a key central defender for a Massachusetts' unit which ranks no. 9 nationally and second in the A-10 with a 1.14 goal against average. Equally a threat on the offensive side of the pitch, Lorenzini totaled 14 points on six goals and two assists through the regular season. The Mendonza, Argentina native scored a goal at Northwestern, making her the only player to convert a goal against the No. 1 Wildcats through the first nine weeks of the regular season.

Elani Sherwood impressed in her debut season for the Minutewomen, claiming Rookie of The Year honors after totaling 20 points on eight goals and four assists. The Surbiton, England native earned back-to-back A-10 Rookie of the Week honors in September, recording 12 points across four games. Sherwood ended the regular season ranked no. 8 in the A-10 with eight goals through 18 games.

Graduate Student Claire Danahy earns her first career selection to the A-10 First Team after leading the conference ranking no. 7 nationally with 13 assists through the regular season. The Chelmsford, Massachusetts native tallied an impressive eight multi-point games including two goals in a 4-3 OT win over then no. 20 UMass Lowell.

Fellow Graduate Student Elena Clococeanu received A-10 First Team honors in her debut season with the Minutewomen, ranking no. 8 in the A-10 with eight goals on the regular season.

Senior Dempsey Campbell takes home her second consecutive second-team selection after ranking second on the Massachusetts roster with six goals and scoring the game-winning goal in a shutout win over then no. 12 ranked Boston College (10/6). Hannah De Gast rounded out the second team after a season in which she totaled 15 points on three goals and nine assists.

Freshman Cara Falconer joined fellow newcomer Elani Sherwood as an All-Rookie selection. The Woking, England native after scoring two goals on the year, including the game-tying goal in Massachusetts' 2-1 win over then no.6 St. Joseph's.

Claire Danahy, Savanna Henderson and Myrte van Herwijnen closed out the 2024 end-of-season awards, each earning recognition for their achievements in the classroom on the A-10 All-Academic Team.

The Minutewomen will face Saint Joseph's ing the A-10 Championship Final, on Saturday, Nov. 9 at 12 p.m. at Ellen Ryan Field. The game will be streamed with links and live updated found on umassathletics.com or UMassFH on Twitter.

Scoreboard