Luus, Balsdon Named Big Ten Players of the Year
11/2/2016 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
ROSEMONT, Ill. - Senior Welma Luus was named Big Ten Player of the Year and graduate student Grace Balsdon was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year the league announced Wednesday.
Both were named to the All-Big Ten First Team, as voted by the league's nine head coaches. Junior Lein Holsboer was voted to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Luus leads the third-ranked Terrapins (15-3, 7-1 B1G) in scoring with 14 goals, including five game-winners, and 32 points this year. Last year, she was earned NFHCA Second Team All-America honors and was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team.
Balsdon is second on the team in scoring with 12 goals, four in conference play, this season with five assists. She anchors the Terrapins' defensive unit that has allowed just 60 penalty corners this season.
With Luus' and Balsdon's honors this year, 15 Terrapins in program history have earned 20 conference Player of the Year awards.
Holsboer, a midfielder, has scored once and notched a team-high 11 assists so far this season. She was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch List in August. This marks Holsboer's first career All-Big Ten honor.
Luus and Emma Rissinger were named to the Victory Sports Tours/NFHCA Division I Senior Game Tuesday by the NFHCA.
Luus and Rissinger are two of 38 seniors selected for the game, which will be played Saturday, Nov. 19 in Old Dominion University, the site of the NCAA Championship. Twelve additional student-athletes were named alternates.
The Terrapins won their third straight Big Ten outright title Sunday with a 4-2 win over Rutgers to close the regular season. With the win, the Terrapins clinched the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament next week at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. For ticket, television and more information, click here.
Maryland is ranked No. 3 in the latest RPI rankings, available here.
Next, the Big Ten Tournament will open Thursday with the Quarterfinals round. Top-seeded Maryland will play eighth-seeded Rutgers at 3 p.m. at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex. The match will be televised around the world on the Big Ten Network.
Fans planning to attend games Thursday and Friday before 4 p.m. will be directed to park in lot 11B, the lot next to the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex, in the first row closest to the field. Fans parked in other areas of the lot or other lots may be subject to ticketing before 4 p.m. Overflow parking will be available in the Terrapin Trail Garage.
All lots will be free and open after 4 p.m. and for Sunday's championship game. Click here for a campus parking map.
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