Hawkeye Fan Shop — A Black & Gold Store | 24 Hawkeyes to Watch 2016-17 | Hawk Talk Monthly — Dec. 2016
IOWA CITY, Iowa — University of Iowa redshirt senior Natalie Cafone has been named the 2016 National Field Hockey Coaches Association’s West Region Player of the Year, the NFHCA announced Thursday. It is the second West Region Player of the Year honor for Cafone (2014).
“I am ecstatic for Natalie,” said UI head coachLisa Cellucci. “This is a wonderful honor for such an accomplished athlete. She has been an offensive threat for the past four years and her ability to make plays and score goals is outstanding. Her impact on Iowa Field Hockey will definitely be cemented in the record books and I am so proud of her.”
Cafone — a three-time first team All-Big Ten honoree and a two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year — earned her third All-West Region honor Tuesday. The redshirt senior posted team-highs in goals (20) and points (48) while tallying eight assists in 19 games this season.
A native of Fairfield, New Jersey, Cafone started 65 games in her career, collecting 68 goals, 23 assists and 159 points. The two-time NFHCA All-American is tied for sixth (Ellen Egan) on Iowa’s all-time goals list. Cafone led the Big Ten in goals (20), goals per game (1.05), shots (89), shots per game (4.68), and ranked second in points (48) and points per game (2.53) in 2016.
The 2016 Longstreth/NFHCA Division I All-American Teams will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 7.