Fernandez Lacort Voted Big Ten POY, Five Named to All-Conference Teams
11/6/2019 2:10:00 PM | Field Hockey
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- University of Michigan senior Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, a midfielder on the Wolverine field hockey team, has been named the 2019 Big Ten Player of the Year, the league office announced Wednesday (Nov. 6). Fernandez Lacort was also one of five Wolverines selected to the All-Big Ten teams.
Fernandez Lacort and junior Halle O'Neill were selected to the All-Big Ten first team, while senior Meg Dowthwaite, sophomore Kathryn Peterson and sophomore Anna Spieker earned second-team accolades. Michigan boasted the most 2019 All-Big Ten selections -- no other team earned more than three.
Fernandez Lacort becomes the sixth Wolverine to be named Big Ten Player of the Year and the third since the top honor was reinstituted in 2013 -- when Rachael Mack claimed it as well as the conference's Offensive Player of the Year award. More recently, Katie Trombetta was named the Big Ten Player of the Year in 2017. Michigan has claimed 24 Big Ten yearly awards since 1997, including five over the last five seasons.
Fernandez Lacort was one of just three unanimous selections to the All-Big Ten first team and garnered first-team recognition for the second straight season. Michigan's field general in the midfield and a two-year team captain, Fernandez Lacort owns career highs this year with three goals, including the game-winner in the Wolverines' win over No. 2 Maryland, and a team-best 12 assists. She was also an NFHCA All-America third team honoree in 2018.
O'Neill, the Wolverines' starting center back over the last two seasons, earned All-Big Ten honors for the first time in her career; she was an NFHCA All-West Region honoree last year. O'Neill owns one goal and three assists this season, but more significantly, she has led a defensive unit that ranks third nationally with a 0.96 goals-against average and has allowed just 5.2 shots per game.
Dowthwaite earned All-Big Ten honors for the third time in her career, adding to a first-team nod in 2017 and second-team selection in 2018. She shares the team lead with seven goals and owns three assists. Dowthwaite, a 2017 NFHCA All-American, already ranks eighth in both career goals (41) and career points (102) at Michigan.
Peterson garnered her first All-Big Ten selection after a breakout season in the midfield. She shares the Wolverines' points lead (18) with five goals and eight assists -- the latter contributed by adding insert duties on U-M's penalty-corner attack this year.
Spieker also earned her first All-Big Ten selection in recognition of a breakout sophomore season. With a career-best 0.99 goals-against average, Spieker is just one of five goalkeepers in the nation with a GAA below 1.00. She also boasts five complete-game shutouts and combined for four more.
Senior back Clare Brush was selected as Michigan's recipient of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award. The award is given annually to student-athletes who distinguish themselves through good sportsmanship and ethical behavior, as well as demonstrate academic excellence and good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting.
The Wolverines will return to action this Thursday (Nov. 7), squaring off against Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals at 11 a.m. at the PSU Field Hockey Complex in State College, Pennsylvania.
