Alyssa Chillano from Duke University, Ashley Hoffman of the University of North Carolina, the University of Maryland’s Lein Holsboer and Charlotte Veitner of the University of Connecticut are the four nominees for the Class of 2018 Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.

The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 42 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies “the best of the best in collegiate athletics”.  The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2018 Honda Cup which will be presented on a live telecast on CBS Sports Network on Monday, June 25, 2018, in downtown Los, Angeles.

The nominees were chosen by a panel of coaches representing the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). The Honda Sport award winner for field hockey will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.

Chillano, a senior back from Phoenixville, Pa., was named the MVP of the 2017 NFHCA Senior All-Star game and is a two-time NFHCA All-American. She led a defense ranked among the best in the country all season in goals against average (1.28) and recorded eight goals and four assists on the year. A two-time first-team All-ACC honoree, she earned 2017 ACC All-Tournament honors this season as well.

Hoffman was named the 2017 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and the ACC Tournament MVP in leading UNC to the ACC Championship title. A junior back from Mohnton, Pa., she earned 2017 first-team NFHCA All-American honors and is a two-time NFHCA first-team All-South Region honoree. She tied for the team lead with 11 goals on the season and is a U.S. National Team member.

A senior hailing from Hilversum, Netherlands, Holsboer is a 2017 first-team NFHCA All-American and a member of the NCAA All-Tournament team after leading the Terps to the National Championship game. The forward led the Terrapins in points (37) and assists (15) and ranked third in the Big Ten in points and second in assists. She was named to the 2017 All-Big-Ten first-team.

Veitner, a senior from Dusseldorf, Germany, is a two-time Honda Award nominee after being on the ballot last season. She led Connecticut to an undefeated 23-0 season and the 2017 National Championship and was named the NCAA Championship MVP after scoring both goals, including the game-winner. The forward is a three-time NFHCA first-team All-American and was named the BIG East Offensive Player of the Year for the third year in a row.

Honda Sport Award winners will be presented with the honor during on-campus presentations throughout the year and all Honda Sport Award winners become a finalist for the prestigious 2018 Honda Cup award presented in June.

The CWSA, celebrating its 42nd year, has honored the nation’s top NCAA women athletes for their superior athletic skills, leadership, academic excellence and eagerness to participate in community service.  Since commencing its sponsorship in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.1 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs. 

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