NEW YORK—For the first time ever the Villanova field hockey program has two freshmen on the postseason All-BIG EAST teams in the same season. Freshman forward Meghan Mitchell (Villanova, Pa.) and first-year back Sabine de Ruijter (Huizen, Netherlands) earn earned second team all-conference accolades in an announcement by the BIG EAST office on Wednesday afternoon. The pair of newcomers were the leading scorers for the Wildcats during the spring season.
 
Mitchell was recognized with weekly awards twice during the year and finished the 14-game spring slate with eight goals, two assists and 18 points. She led the team in both goals scored and points while contributing one game-winning goal. Mitchell had a knack for finding the cage, as 18 of her 23 shots on the year were put on goal and she scored on eight of 23 total attempts for a .348 shot percentage. She scored at least one goal in six games during the season, including four in a row from March 13-29.
 
In the middle of that four-game stretch was a weekend series against Quinnipiac in which Mitchell recorded nine points over two games. She scored a game-tying goal in a 3-2 victory in the first game of the weekend, then broke out for three goals and one assist in the second game. Mitchell notched the first hat trick and the first game-winning goal of her collegiate career in the 5-0 victory. She was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week and was also selected as the NFHCA Play Safe Turf & Track Division I Offensive Player of the Week. Mitchell was named to the weekly BIG EAST Honor Roll on March 29 after she totaled three goals, one assist and seven points in non-conference games against Drexel and La Salle in the week prior.
 
Villanova got contributions on both ends of the field from de Ruijter in her first collegiate season. She was a steady presence on the team's set plays and recorded six goals, one assist and 13 points on the season. de Ruijter led the Wildcats with 34 shots taken and also had a team-high 20 shots on goal in 14 games played. She was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on March 15 after standing out in a two-game series against Quinnipiac. de Ruijter scored two goals, including her first collegiate game-winner, in a 3-2 win over the Bobcats in the first meeting between the teams. She also had an assist in a 5-0 win the next day.
 
On the defensive side of the field, de Ruijter was credited with two of Villanova's five defensive saves and was part of a back line that only gave up 8.6 shots on goal per contest. She started all 14 games on the season and recorded a goal or an assist in six of those outings. de Ruijter scored goals in each of the final two games of the season, including a penalty stroke goal in the season finale at Temple on April 11.
 
The last Wildcats freshman to be an All-BIG EAST selection was Lauren Wuzzardo who earned second team all-conference honors in 2007. Other freshmen from Villanova who earned all-conference honors were Nicole DiMaggio (1997 second team) and Jill Basile (1993 second team). From 1996-2000 the BIG EAST announced an All-Rookie team in addition to its first and second all-conference teams. During those years the Wildcats had five All-Rookie selections, including a pair of honors in 1996 when both Mary Krauss and Clare Turkington were recognized. The others were DiMaggio in 1997, Meghan Helwig in 1999 and Leah Lisausky in 2000.