MANAHAWKIN, N.J.—Fifth year forwards Sabine de Ruijter (Huizen, Netherlands) and Meghan Mitchell (Villanova, Pa.) made Villanova history on Wednesday morning with their selections to the NFHCA Division I All-Region teams sponsored by Apex Field Hockey. After leading the BIG EAST in goals scored and points per game this season, de Ruijter was named to the Mid-Atlantic Region first team and garnered her third career all-region accolade. Mitchell earned a spot on the Mid-Atlantic Region second team and is an all-region pick for the fifth consecutive year.
 
The pair of veteran teammates are the first athletes in program history to earn all-region acclaim three or more times. Mitchell had been the exclusive member of that club for the past two years before being joined by de Ruijter this season. Both players started all 84 games of their collegiate careers over the past five seasons and they combined for 97 career goals scored, 40 assists, 234 points and 20 game-winning goals. Over the last three seasons alone, Mitchell and de Ruijter helped the Wildcats tally 30 wins with a .577 winning percentage and a 2023 BIG EAST Championship appearance.
 
Despite being a standout performer for Villanova for all five years of her career, de Ruijter still had somewhat of a breakout 2024 campaign. She ranked in the top 10 nationally in goals per game (seventh) and points per game (10^th) while recording totals of 15 goals, three assists, 33 points and three game-winning goals. de Ruijter was a first team All-BIG EAST selection for the first time in her career after landing on the second team in each of the previous four seasons. She moved to forward full time in 2024 after previously playing on the back line and on set pieces earlier in her career.
 
There was no better proof of de Ruijter's value to the Wildcats offense than the team going 8-1 this season when she scored at least one goal. Her season totals are highlighted by a career day at Penn when she poured in a career high four goals in a 5-1 victory. de Ruijter also scored two goals in wins over Mercyhurst, William & Mary, and in the season finale at Providence. She scored the game-winning goal in double overtime at William & Mary and registered the game-winner versus Providence when she snapped a 2-2 tie in the third period.
 
Mitchell was a game-changer for the Villanova offense from the very beginning of her collegiate career. She scored her first Wildcats goal in her second game played during the Spring 2021 season, signs of things to come along the way to becoming only the third player in school history to score at least 50 career goals. Mitchell tallied six goals, four assists and 16 points in 2024; Villanova was 6-0 in the games where she registered at least one point. Mitchell tallied eight of her points on the season in BIG EAST play, including two goals in a win over Quinnipiac and four points (one goal, two assists) against Georgetown.
 
The five career All-BIG EAST honors for Mitchell include a pair of first team accolades (2021, 2023) and three times being named to the second team (2020, 2022, 2024). As a senior in 2023, she amassed 16, goals, six assists and 38 points en route to being named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and a second team NFHCA All-American. Mitchell is only the second player in Villanova history to earn either of those distinctions. She is also one of two Wildcats ever and the only offensive player to earn BIG EAST weekly recognition 12 times during her career.
 
Mitchell finishes her collegiate career ranked second in school history in points (124) and third in goals (50), while de Ruijter is fourth in goals (47), tied for fifth in both points (110) and game-winning goals (11), and sixth in shots (270).
 
Villanova has had 48 selections to the NFHCA Mid-Atlantic Region teams over the years, including 18 first team honorees. This year's Wildcats compiled a 10-7 overall record and a 4-3 mark in conference play under 30^th year head coach Joanie Milhous.