Field Hockey Announces Team Award Winners

EAST LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan State field hockey team awarded several members end-of-the-season awards for their efforts during the 2022 season. Members were awarded for their performance on and off the field.

Head coach Helen Knull handed out seven team awards, as voted on by the team.

Senior co-captain Celina Riccardo took home the team's Most Valuable Player award for the first time. The 2019 MSU Rookie of the Year started all 18 games in 2022 and ended the season tied for third on the team with a career-high in points, 10, while also scoring the game-winning goal in overtime against Indiana. Riccardo also finished with two defensive saves on the season.

Senior co-captain Merel Hanssen secured her third-straight Offensive Player of the Year award, having split the award in 2020 with Lia Sinisi and claiming it outright in 2021. The preseason All-B1G selection led the Spartans with a career-high seven goals while tying her career-high in points set last season with 17. She also earned NFHCA All-Region Second Team honors for the second-straight season.

The Defensive Player of the Year honors went to graduate transfer Georgia Davies. Davies started all 18 games for the Spartans after transferring in from American University. The former First Team All-Patriot League selection amassed seven points while ranking second in the Big Ten with five defensive saves in 2022.

Freshman Gracie Burns took home the Rookie of the Year Award. Burns appeared in 17 games, scoring her a goal in the home opener against No. 21 American in a 3-1 victory for MSU.

Junior Ashley Harlock received the team's Spirit Award. Harlock started all 18 games this season while totaling eight points (1g, 6a). She recorded her first multi-point game with two assists in a 3-2 overtime loss to Rutgers and scored in MSU's 3-1 victory over Bellarmine on Sept. 18.

The team's Janine Ackerman Award was given to fifth-year senior Monique Jardell. Introduced in 2019-20, the award honors the late Janine Ackerman, who played field hockey at Michigan State in 2000 under former head coach Michele Madison. Ackerman tragically lost her life in 2017 and alumni raised money to send a gift to her funeral with the extra money going towards the program award. The award exemplifies three traits that relate to Ackerman: Leadership, Team Player and Character.

Jardell led the Big Ten in total saves (104) and saves per game (5.78) and was MSU's recipient for the B1G Sportsmanship award.

MSU concluded the season with a 9-9 overall record in 2022, its best finish to a season since 2014.