University of North Carolina Athletics
Tar Heel junior Ashley Hoffman has been named the 2017 ACC Defensive Player of the Year.
Photo by: Jeffrey A. Camarati
Hoffman Voted ACC Defensive Player Of The Year
November 1, 2017 | Field Hockey
Trio of Tar Heels on the All-ACC teams
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina junior Ashley Hoffman has been named 2017 Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year, as announced Wednesday by the league. Hoffman was also named to the All-ACC first team and joined by two other Tar Heels: Eva van't Hoog on the first team and Malin Evert on the second.
Hoffman is the fourth Tar Heel named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and her recognition gives UNC the award for the second year in a row. Rachel Dawson was honored twice, in 2004 and 2007. Caitlin Van Sickle was a three-time winner, from 2010-12. Julia Young won in 2016. All three previous winners went on to play for the U.S. National Team, and Hoffman is a current member.
"Ashley is a special player and a great leader for us," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "We asked her to move from the midfield to the center back position before the season and she's done an outstanding job there, anchoring our defense all year. She continues to raise her level of play, both for us and for the U.S. National Team. She's so deserving of this honor and I'm thrilled for her to have been recognized.
"Eva and Malin also have had great seasons for us and I'm so pleased to see them join Ashley on the All-ACC team. This is the toughest conference in the country and earning a spot on all-conference team is a great honor for all of them."
Hoffman anchored the Tar Heel defense at the center back position, starting all 17 games there and serving as a team co-captain. On the offensive end, she is tied for the team lead in goals with nine and ranks second in points with 23. She ranks in the ACC's top eight in both categories.
Van't Hoog, who earned second-team honors last year, has started all 17 games in the midfield. She ranks second on the team in assists with 11 and is fourth in points with 18.
Evert, also a member of the second team in 2016, is tied for the team lead in goals with nine. Four of those game in UNC's last outing, against Liberty on Sunday, and earned her National and ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Virginia's Tara Vittese was named ACC Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Her teammate, Pien Dicke, was voted ACC Freshman of the Year, and UVa coach Michele Madison was named ACC Coach of the Year.
The 2017 ACC Field Hockey Championship gets underway Thursday in Louisville, Ky. UNC, the No. 5 seed, plays in the tournament's opening game, taking on Wake Forest at 11 a.m. All six games of the championship will be broadcast on RSN and ACC Network Extra.
2017 ACC Field Hockey Individual Honors
Offensive Player of the Year – Tara Vittese, Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year – Ashley Hoffman, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Pien Dicke, Virginia
Coach of the Year – Michele Madison, Virginia
2017 All-ACC Field Hockey Teams
First Team
Alyssa Chillano, Sr., D, Duke @
Margaux Paolino, So., M, Duke
Nicole Woods, Sr., M, Louisville #
Ayeisha McFerran, Jr., GK, Louisville @
Eva van't Hoog, Jr., M, North Carolina @
Ashley Hoffman, Jr., D, North Carolina
Lies Lagerweij, Sr., D, Syracuse @
Pien Dicke, Fr., F, Virginia
Tara Vittese, Sr., M, Virginia %
Jule Grashoff, Jr., F, Wake Forest @
Nicola Pluta, So., F, Wake Forest @
Second Team
Ymke Rose Gote, Jr., M, Boston College @
Frederique Haverhals, Jr., D, Boston College @
Rose Tynan, Jr., F, Duke
Alexa Mackintire, Sr., M, Duke
Sammi Steele, Jr., GK, Duke
Taylor Stone, Jr., D, Louisville
Minout Mink, So., F, Louisville @
Malin Evert, Jr., M, North Carolina @
Roos Weers, Jr., D, Syracuse #
Laura Hurff, Sr., M, Syracuse #
Dominique van Slooten, So., D, Virginia
@ Two-time honoree, # Three-time honoree, % Four-time honoree
Hoffman is the fourth Tar Heel named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and her recognition gives UNC the award for the second year in a row. Rachel Dawson was honored twice, in 2004 and 2007. Caitlin Van Sickle was a three-time winner, from 2010-12. Julia Young won in 2016. All three previous winners went on to play for the U.S. National Team, and Hoffman is a current member.
"Ashley is a special player and a great leader for us," UNC coach Karen Shelton said. "We asked her to move from the midfield to the center back position before the season and she's done an outstanding job there, anchoring our defense all year. She continues to raise her level of play, both for us and for the U.S. National Team. She's so deserving of this honor and I'm thrilled for her to have been recognized.
"Eva and Malin also have had great seasons for us and I'm so pleased to see them join Ashley on the All-ACC team. This is the toughest conference in the country and earning a spot on all-conference team is a great honor for all of them."
Hoffman anchored the Tar Heel defense at the center back position, starting all 17 games there and serving as a team co-captain. On the offensive end, she is tied for the team lead in goals with nine and ranks second in points with 23. She ranks in the ACC's top eight in both categories.
Van't Hoog, who earned second-team honors last year, has started all 17 games in the midfield. She ranks second on the team in assists with 11 and is fourth in points with 18.
Evert, also a member of the second team in 2016, is tied for the team lead in goals with nine. Four of those game in UNC's last outing, against Liberty on Sunday, and earned her National and ACC Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Virginia's Tara Vittese was named ACC Player of the Year for the second year in a row. Her teammate, Pien Dicke, was voted ACC Freshman of the Year, and UVa coach Michele Madison was named ACC Coach of the Year.
The 2017 ACC Field Hockey Championship gets underway Thursday in Louisville, Ky. UNC, the No. 5 seed, plays in the tournament's opening game, taking on Wake Forest at 11 a.m. All six games of the championship will be broadcast on RSN and ACC Network Extra.
2017 ACC Field Hockey Individual Honors
Offensive Player of the Year – Tara Vittese, Virginia
Defensive Player of the Year – Ashley Hoffman, North Carolina
Freshman of the Year – Pien Dicke, Virginia
Coach of the Year – Michele Madison, Virginia
2017 All-ACC Field Hockey Teams
First Team
Alyssa Chillano, Sr., D, Duke @
Margaux Paolino, So., M, Duke
Nicole Woods, Sr., M, Louisville #
Ayeisha McFerran, Jr., GK, Louisville @
Eva van't Hoog, Jr., M, North Carolina @
Ashley Hoffman, Jr., D, North Carolina
Lies Lagerweij, Sr., D, Syracuse @
Pien Dicke, Fr., F, Virginia
Tara Vittese, Sr., M, Virginia %
Jule Grashoff, Jr., F, Wake Forest @
Nicola Pluta, So., F, Wake Forest @
Second Team
Ymke Rose Gote, Jr., M, Boston College @
Frederique Haverhals, Jr., D, Boston College @
Rose Tynan, Jr., F, Duke
Alexa Mackintire, Sr., M, Duke
Sammi Steele, Jr., GK, Duke
Taylor Stone, Jr., D, Louisville
Minout Mink, So., F, Louisville @
Malin Evert, Jr., M, North Carolina @
Roos Weers, Jr., D, Syracuse #
Laura Hurff, Sr., M, Syracuse #
Dominique van Slooten, So., D, Virginia
@ Two-time honoree, # Three-time honoree, % Four-time honoree
Players Mentioned
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