Bente Baekers from Northwestern University, Penn State University’s Sophia Gladieux, Erin Matson of the University of North Carolina and Princeton University’s Beth Yeager are the four finalists for the Class of 2023 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 47 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 2023 Honda Cup which will be presented during the live telecast of the Collegiate Women Sports Awards Presented by Honda on CBS Sports Network in June.

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

Baekers, a fifth year student from Rijswijk, Netherlands, is a three-time NFHCA First-Team All-American and a four-time NFHCA All-West First-Team honoree. She led her tame to a 2022 NCAA Championship runner-up finish and was named to the 2022 NCAA All-Tournament Team. The forward ranked second in the nation with 25 goals and 58 points.

Gladieux was named the 2022 Big Ten Player and Offensive Player of the Year and is a two-time NFHCA First-Team All-American. The junior forward from Boyerton, Pa., ended the season with 49 points off a team-high 23 goals and three assists. She boasts 53 career goals and sits in ninth place on Penn State’s all-time goals scored list.

Matson, a senior forward hailing from Chadds Ford, Pa., is a two-time Honda Sport Award winner for field hockey (2019, 2020) and a four-time finalist. A five-time ACC Offensive Player of the Year, she led her team to the 2022 NCAA Championship title and was named the 2022 NCAA Tournament MVP after scoring the game-winning goal in the championship game.

Yeager is a sophomore hailing from Greenwich, Conn. She is a two-time Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year, the unanimous choice in 2022, and a two-time All-Ivy League First-Team honoree. The midfielder led the Ivy League in goals (12) and points (32) this season and was named the 2022 NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Player of the Year.

The CWSA, entering its 47th 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 partnership in 1986, Honda has provided more than $3.4 million in institutional grants to the universities of the award winners and nominees to support women’s athletics programs.  

About Honda Corporate Social Responsibility

For more than 60 years in the U.S., Honda has been committed to making positive contributions to the communities where its associates live and work. Honda’s mission is to create products and services that improve the lives of people while conducting its business in a sustainable manner and fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace. Accordingly, Honda believes in helping people reach their life’s potential through its focus on improving children’s health, inspiring underrepresented students, preserving the environment for future generations, creating safety for everyone, and strengthening our communities. Learn more at http://csr.honda.com/.