UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Nittany Lion field hockey player Sophia Gladieux has been named the 2023 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. Teammates Mackenzie Allessie, Anouk Knuvers and Carly Gannon were also honored with Big Ten post-season awards.
For Gladieux, this is the second straight season that she has been named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. She was also named first team All-Big Ten for the fourth time. Gladieux leads Penn State with 42 points off 20 goals and two assists. Gladieux is currently fourth all-time in Penn State history with 73 goals for her career and is fifth in career points with 155 (73 goals, nine assists).
Allessie was also honored as first team All-Big Ten. For Allessie, this is the fifth straight season that she appears on the first team. She heads into this weekend's Big Ten Tournament with 21 points off eight goals and five assists. Allessie has 60 career goals and 45 career assists for 165 career points (her first two seasons were played at Ohio State.
Knuvers has been named second team All-Big Ten, marking the first time she has appeared on an All-Big Ten team. Knuvers anchors Penn State's defense and has two assists this season as well. She was Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after the Nittany Lions downed Ohio State earlier in October.
Senior Carly Gannon has been named Penn State's recipient of the Big Ten Field Hockey Sportsmanship Award. She has emerged as an offensive threat this season, starting all season long for head coach Lisa Bervinchak Love's squad. Gannon is third on the team in scoring with 15 points off four goals and three assists and has 21 career points (seven goals, three assists).
Penn State, 9-7 overall, will battle Ohio State in the first Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal game on Thursday, Nov. 2, at 11:00 a.m. The 2023 Big Ten Tournament is being hosted by the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. Thursday's quarterfinal winners, and top-seed Northwestern, will take part in Friday's Big Ten semifinals at 1:00 and 3:30 p.m. while the Big Ten Tournament title game is set for Sunday at 12 p.m. The B1G quarterfinals stream on B1G+ while the semifinals and championship games will air nationally on the Big Ten Network.
Fans are encouraged to follow the Nittany Lion field hockey team online at www.GoPSUsports.com (click teams, click field hockey), on X/Twitter @pennstateFH and on facebook at www.facebook.com/pennstatefieldhockey.