The ACC announced Wednesday its annual field hockey award winners, with UNC junior Ashley Hoffman chosen as the league’s Defender of the Year.
Hoffman was also named to the All-ACC First Team alongside teammate Eva Van’t Hoog–while fellow Tar Heel Malin Evert earned a slot on the All-ACC Second Team.
A former midfielder who converted to center back before this season, Hoffman becomes the fourth UNC player to earn ACC Defender of the Year honors.
She follows in the footsteps of last year’s winner–former teammate Julia Young–as she is also a member of the U.S. National Team.
“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,” head coach Karen Shelton said, of Hoffman. “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.”
Not only has Hoffman started all of UNC’s 17 games as a defensive anchor, the junior is tied with Evert for the team lead at nine goals so far this season. She also has five assists to her credit, ranking her among the top eight producers in the ACC in both goals and points.
Van’t Hoog earned her spot on the All-ACC First Team by providing solid play in the midfield all season long, racking up a whopping 11 assists in the process.
Virginia’s Tara Vittese was named the conference Player of the Year for the second straight year.
The ACC field hockey tournament is scheduled to begin Thursday in Louisville, with No. 5 seed UNC taking on No. 4 seed Wake Forest at 11 a.m.
For the full list of All-ACC field hockey teams, click here.
Photo via UNC Athletics
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