IOWA CITY, Iowa – University of Iowa senior Maddy Murphy has been named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association National Offensive Player of the Week, it was announced Wednesday by the association. It is Murphy’s second national honor of the season.
The Riana, Tasmania, native was also named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for a second time Monday.
Murphy earned the distinction after leading the top-ranked Hawkeyes to a pair of road victories at No. 6 Rutgers and No. 7 Maryland. She accounted for five points on the weekend, scoring the team’s second goal in the win in Piscataway before scoring the game-winner – her second of the season — in the fourth quarter against Maryland. She also tallied an assist on Leah Zellner’s first strike – her sixth assist on the year.
The wins were the Hawkeyes’ fourth and fifth consecutive victories over top-seven ranked opponents (and sixth and seventh victories over nationally ranked foes) this season. The triumph in College Park was the first in program history.
With the two road wins, the Hawkeyes improved to a perfect 12-0 this season – the program’s best start since 1992 when it won its first 20 games en route to an NCAA runner-up finish.
Murphy earned her first NFHCA National Offensive Player of the Week honor on Sept. 1. Iowa has earned three national accolades this season as senior Anthe Nijziel was the NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 29.
The Hawkeyes return to action Friday, facing Michigan State at 3 p.m. (CT) in East Lansing.
