Cafone Named B1G Freshman of the Week

Cafone Named B1G Freshman of the Week

Oct. 23, 2012

IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa field hockey forward Natalie Cafone has been named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week, the conference office announced Tuesday. The honor is the first of Cafone’s career.

“Natalie has steadily improved her game effectiveness this season,” said UI head coach Tracey Griesbaum. “Her aggressiveness and determination were outstanding this past weekend.”

The Fairfield, N.J., native earned the accolade after doubling her season goal and point outputs in victories over Kent State and Ball State. She finished the weekend with three goals and one assist for seven points.

Cafone made her first career start against the Golden Flashes, where she accounted for the team’s first goal in a 3-1 triumph. Against Ball State, she finished with a career-best seven points with two goals and one assist. It was her second career two-goal game.

Cafone has six goals and one assist on the year. The six strikes are tied for the fifth most on the team.

Cafone is the first Hawkeye to earn Freshman of the Week honors since Sarah Drake on Nov. 2, 2009.

Iowa (12-4, 3-1), which is ranked 12th in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA rankings, closes out the regular season with a pair of home games. The Hawkeyes host No. 14 Michigan on Friday at 2 p.m. (CT) before facing eighth-ranked Northwestern on Sunday at noon.