Nov. 1, 2010
PARK RIDGE, Ill. - For the second time this season, Kelsey Amy has been named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after piecing together an incredible performance during the No. 9 ranked Penn State field hockey team's regular season finale on Friday against Northwestern.
In the team's 4-2 victory over the Wildcats, Amy accounted for every goal, highlighted by a hat-trick in the first half. She and Jessica Longstreth were a lethal tandem, teaming up on all four goals as the Nittany Lions clinched the No. 3 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Following a slow start to the contest, Amy blew the game open during an incredible eight-minute stretch late in the first half. On three consecutive penalty corners, she settled into her spot on the left wing, took a feed from Longstreth, and rocketed a shot into the cage. It marked the second time this season that she posted a hat-trick in the first half after also tallying four in the opening period against Monmouth.
After Northwestern made the game interesting with back-to-back goals, Amy returned to ice the victory. Following another penalty corner, the Nittany Lions followed the same script that worked in the first half as Amy took a pass from Longstreth and launched a one-timer to give the team an insurance goal.
The performance was her fourth multi-goal effort of the season and her second in conference action. Earlier this year, she also tallied two goals in the team's 4-1 victory over Michigan State on October 8.
During the season, Amy leads the team and ranks third in the Big Ten with 17 goals. She also enters postseason play averaging one goal per game, which is the ninth highest rate in the NCAA.
In her career, Amy now has 25 goals and five assists for a total of 55 points. A starter in 27 of the team's 37 games over the last two years, she has cracked the starting lineup in 16 contests this season.
Earlier this year, Amy was also named the Offensive Player of the Week on August 30. Overall, the team has earned six weekly conference honors with Ayla Halus accounting for four Defensive Player of the Week awards.
In addition to Amy, the Big Ten honored Ohio State's Jenn Sciulli as the Defensive Player of the Week, while Michigan State's Molly Cassidy was selected as the top freshman.
Amy and the Nittany Lions will return to action on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET when the team battles Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament at Northwestern's Lakeside Field.