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IOWA CITY, Iowa — Three University of Iowa field hockey student-athletes — Katie Birch, Maddy Murphy, and Sophie Sunderland — earned preseason All-Big Ten recognition, the Big Ten Conference announced Tuesday.
Birch, a senior midfielder from York, England, earned NFHCA second team All-American recognition after starting all 18 games and recording team highs in assists (10) — the fourth most in the Big Ten a season ago. She recorded 56 shots to tally 26 points. This is the third consecutive year Birch has earned preseason honors by the Big Ten Conference.
Murphy, a junior forward, started all 18 games last year and recorded 13 goals and 33 points. The Riana, Tasmania, native was named to the NFHCA Division I National Academic Squad and earned NFHCA first team All-West Region honors and first team All-Big Ten honors last season. Murphy led the team with four game-winning goals.
Sunderland, a senior midfielder, earned second team All-Big Ten honors by posting career highs in goals (7), assists (5), and points (19) during her junior year last season. The Ipswich, England, native, recorded her first career hat trick in Iowa’s 7-1 win over Ball State. Last season’s selection to the All-West regional roster was the first of her career.
The Hawkeyes open the 2019 season in Ann Arbor, Michigan for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge where they will face Wake Forest on Friday and North Carolina on Sunday. The matchup against Wake Forest starts at 2:30 p.m. with Sunday’s matchup starting at 1 p.m. (CT).
