Wolverines Place Five on NFHCA All-West Region Teams
11/22/2021 2:44:00 PM | Field Hockey
BROCKPORT, N.Y. -- The University of Michigan field hockey team placed five players on the 2021 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I All-West Region teams, the organization announced Monday (Nov. 22). U-M has posted five or more regional selections in each of the last five seasons.
Fifth-year senior Halle O'Neill, seniors Kathryn Peterson and Sofia Southam and sophomore Anouk Veen were named to the first team, while junior Katie Anderson earned second-team recognition. O'Neill earned all-region honors for the fourth straight year, while Peterson garnered her third nod.
The NFHCA Division I All-Region team announcement is the first in a list of postseason awards to come from the NFHCA over the next several weeks. The Regional Players of the Year will be revealed on Nov. 29, while the NFHCA All-America teams will be announced on Dec. 14.
O'Neill, the Wolverines' field general, was a key component of the Wolverine defensive unit -- one that has allowed only 1.13 goals and 7.45 total shots per game over the last five seasons -- since arriving in Ann Arbor. She was a primary contributor on both the defensive and attack penalty-corner units and posted 14 career goals and 13 assists. She was a three-time All-Big Ten first team honoree and the 2020 Big Ten Tournament MVP and was named an NFHCA First Team All-American last spring.
Peterson, an NFHCA third team All-American in 2020-21 and a three-time All-Big Ten second team selection, posted five goals and seven assists this season -- with 18 career goals and 22 assists -- as the inserter on Michigan's attack corner. She has been a major contributor to the Wolverines' midfield over the last four seasons.
Southam, the 2021 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, boasted 23 goals and three assists over 19 games played -- the second-best scoring average in the country this season. She has appeared in 71 games over the last four years as a forward and midfielder and owns 34 career goals and 10 assists. She was also named to the All-Big Ten first team this fall and is a two-time Big Ten All-Tournament selection.
Veen has been U-M's defensive anchor at the center back position since her arrival last season and contributed to a 0.97 goals-against average and 15 shutout victories over the last two years. A primary striker on the attack corner, Veen also has nine career goals -- five this season -- and four career assists. She was previously named to the NFHCA All-West Region second team last season.
Anderson has appeared in 75 games to date over her Michigan career and started all 39 games at midfield over the last two seasons. She boasts eight career goals and 12 assists, primarily as the stick stopper on U-M's corner attack unit. An NFHCA All-West Region second team honoree in 2020-21, Anderson was also named to the Big Ten and NCAA All-Tournament Teams last season.
U-M posted a stellar 16-5 record this season and advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals.
