This article is part of a series looking back on award winners in each A-10 sport as part of the league's 50th Anniversary celebration. Learn more about 50 years of the Atlantic 10 at the league's 50th ANNIVERSARY WEBSITE.
PICTURED ABOVE: Saint Joseph's Anna WIllocks is the only field hockey player in A-10 history to win Offensive Player of the Year three times.
WASHINGTON -- Last year, two Atlantic 10 teams made the NCAA Field Hockey national semifinals, providing a distinguishing chapter in over three decades of A-10 field hockey. The league added field hockey as an Olympic sport in 1988. The A-10 held its inaugural field hockey season that year with Massachusetts claiming the first ever title.
Since 1988, field hockey has transformed in the A-10. The expansion of the conference and the departure of schools have impacted the makeup of the programs. Field hockey has withstood the changes and become a strong sport within the conference.
Each season the sport awards student-athletes for their athletic accomplishments. In field hockey, the A-10 honors an offensive, defensive, goalkeeper, rookie and coach of the year. The award not only reflects their athletic excellence, but the impact they had at the conference level.
In the first few years of the award, several players dominated. Three players from 1989 – 1998 were two-time recipients of the Offensive Player of the Year (OPOY) award: Temple’s Jane Catanzaro (1989 and 1999), Massachusetts’ Jenn Salisbury (1992 and 1993) and Massachusetts’ Hilary Rose (1994 and 1996).
Catanzaro and Rose left a legacy on A-10 field hockey. Catanzaro’s 53 goals in the 1990 campaign still stands as the most goals in a single season. In addition, Rose holds three single-season A-10 records. Set in the 1993 campaign, Rose holds the best save percentage (.956), shutouts (16) and goals against average (0.37).
Twenty years passed before the next A-10 player earned OPOY in multiple years. Anna Willocks of Saint Joseph’s was named the OPOY for the 2015, 2016 and 2017 seasons. She was the first, and only, player to have won the award for three straight years. In the 2016 campaign she led the league in goals (25) and points (62), while tying for first in assists (12). Willocks was a two-time NFHCA All-America Second Team recipient and named to the 2018 NFHCA All-America First Team. In her tenure, the Hawks won their first three of four consecutive A-10 titles.
Manu Ghigliotti and Lily Santi are the latest players to become two-time OPOY recipients. Ghigliotti and Santi combined to win the award for the previous four seasons, including in 2023 when Ghigliotti shared it with VCU’s Mora Marrero. In addition to 20213, Ghigliotti earned OPOY in 2021 and Santi received it in 2022 and 2024.
The Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award was introduced in 2000. Allie Howard of Richmond was the first player to be named a two-time honoree of the DPOY. Howard claimed the award in 2004 and 2005. She was an All-Conference selection three times (2003-2005).
Eight years down the line, Lauren Allymohamed became the first defensive player to earn three straight DPOY awards from 2012 to 2014. Allymohamed of Massachusetts was named to the 2013 NFHCA Division I All-America Second Team and 2014 NFHCA Third Team All-America.
Over the course of 36 A-10 field hockey seasons, a total of 101 student-athletes were recognized as an OPOY, DPOY, Goalkeeper of the Year Rookie of the Year. The breakdown tags 38 of those players as Offensive Player of the Year, while 26 players earned Defensive Player of the Year. 35 recipients have claimed Rookie of the Year and only one person, UMass’ Myrte Van Herwijnen, has received Goalkeeper of the Year. (Goalkeeper of the Year was established in 2023 and Van Herwijnen won back-to-back awards.)
| YEAR |
OFFENSIVE |
DEFENSIVE |
GOALKEEPER |
| 2024 |
Lily Santi (SJU) |
Paula Lorenzini (UM) |
Myrte Van Herwijnen (UM) |
| 2023 |
Manu Ghigliotti (SJU)
Mora Marrero (VCU) |
Hannah De Gast (UM) |
Myrte Van Herwijnen (UM) |
| 2022 |
Lily Santi (SJU) |
Freke van Tilburg (SJU) |
|
| 2021 |
Manu Ghigliotti (SJU) |
Marlise van Tonder (UM) |
|
| 2020-21 |
Georgie McTear (UM) |
Janne Wetzel (VCU) |
|
| 2019 |
Pepa Serrano (SJU) |
Kathrin Bentz (JU) |
|
| 2018 |
Emily McNamara (VCU) |
Victoria Kammerinke (SJU |
|
| 2017 |
Anna Wilocks (SJU) |
Melanie Kreusch (UM) |
|
| 2016 |
Anna Willocks (SJU) |
Melanie Kreusch (UM) |
|
| 2015 |
Anna Willocks (SJU) |
Amy Cooke (UR) |
|
| 2014 |
Rebecca Barry (UR) |
Lauren Allymohamed (UM) |
|
| 2013 |
Brooke Sabia |
Lauren Allymohamed (UM) |
|
| 2012 |
Amber Youtz (TU) |
Lauren Allymohmaed (UM) |
|
| 2011 |
Bridget Settles (TU) |
Alesha Widdall (UM) |
|
| 2010 |
Nicole McCreight (SJU) |
Makeaela Potts (UM) |
|
| 2009 |
Sarah Blythe-Wood (UR) |
Makeaela Potts (UM) |
|
| 2008 |
Katelyn Orlando (UM) |
Mary Catherine Kinneman (TU)
Alesha Widdall (UM) |
|
| 2007 |
Alli Lokey (TU) |
Ashley Bird (TU) |
|
| 2006 |
Shannon Taylor (UR) |
Mary Jean Britt (URI) |
|
| 2005 |
Whitney Wells (UR) |
Allie Howard (UR) |
|
| 2004 |
Holly Cram (UR) |
Allie Howard (UR) |
|
| 2003 |
Allie Howard (UR) |
Colleen Bolger (LAS) |
|
| 2002 |
Jill Murphy (UR) |
Lydia Decembrino (UR) |
|
| 2001 |
Heather Rice (UR) |
Anke Bruemmer (UM) |
|
| 2000 |
Kelley Barnowski (URI) |
Marisa Mitchell (WCU) |
|
| 1999 |
Anke Bruemmer (UM) |
|
|
| 1998 |
Erica Coggins (URI) |
|
|
| 1997 |
Mary Melnick (WCU) |
|
|
| 1996 |
Hilary Rose (UM) |
|
|
| 1995 |
Kellie Gorman (URI) |
|
|
| 1994 |
Hilary Rose (UM) |
|
|
| 1993 |
Jenn Salisbury (UM) |
Dani Bleam (SJU) |
|
| 1992 |
Ainslee Press (UM)
Jenn Salisbury (UM) |
|
|
| 1991 |
Sherlan Cabralis (UM) |
|
|
| 1990 |
Jane Catanzaro (TU) |
|
|
| 1989 |
Jane Catanzaro (TU) |
|
|