Wednesday’s National Honours Go to Salisbury’s Layla Kent and Penn State’s Aby Deverka
Two keepers of very different jobs, one shared Wednesday. The national coaches’ association handed out its weekly honours and both went to players who’d already decided big games.
Salisbury’s Layla Kent got the NFHCA National Player of the Week award, and the numbers explain why. The freshman scored three goals for her second hat trick of the month, including the 42nd-minute winner, in the 10th-ranked Sea Gulls’ 4-3 road win at 11th-ranked Rowan. Then she assisted on all three third-quarter goals in a 4-2 win over TCNJ to close the regular season at 13-3. Nine points in a week took her season total to 40, second in the SUNYAC, and she’s now sixth in Division III in assists per game at 0.88.
It’s Kent’s third SUNYAC Offensive Player of the Week award this season too, so this isn’t a one-week flash. Salisbury head to Oneonta for the SUNYAC tournament, where they meet Oswego State in Friday’s semifinal at noon.
Penn State’s Aby Deverka took the NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week award, alongside Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. The Houston native made seven saves as the Nittany Lions ended No. 1 Northwestern’s 35-game conference winning streak. She’s the first Penn State player to earn the national award, and the first in program history to collect two NFHCA honours in a single season. Across 17 games she’s conceded 19 goals with a 77.9% save percentage.
For our money, Deverka’s is the bigger statement of the two. Any keeper can have a hot week. Ending a 35-game conference streak belonging to the two-time reigning national champions is the kind of afternoon that changes a season. Penn State carry that into their Big Ten quarterfinal against Iowa in Columbus.
