NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – VCU junior Lonica McKinney was named Atlantic 10 Conference Field Hockey Player of the Week and Rams’ graduate student Maite Sturm was selected as Defensive Player of the Week. Massachusetts’s freshman Emilie Marchio was named the league's Rookie of the Week.  The awards, announced Tuesday, are for games played Aug. 30 – Sept 5.

McKinney, a forward from Kelowna, British Columbia, scored a career-high four goals on just five shot attempts. She recorded a hat trick in the first 26:31 of action before scoring her fourth goal in the third quarter. McKinney’s four goals led the Rams to a 7-1 victory over Villanova.

Sturm, a midfielder, led the way on the defensive side as the Rams allowed just three penalty corners and six shots on goal, with the lone Wildcats goal coming from a penalty corner.  A native of Waltrop, Germany, Sturm also recorded two assists. 

Marchio earned rookie honors for leading the Minutewomen to wins over Vermont and Albany. The forward from Paris, France, finished the weekend with two goals, including tallying the game-winner against Great Danes