Big Ten Honours: Gaitan Beats Michigan Twice Over, Tromp Scores Like a Forward From Defence
Two of this week’s Big Ten honours winners will be on opposite sides of the biggest college game of the season on Thursday night. That’s a neat way for the conference to set its own stage.
Offensive: Ella Gaitan, Penn State
Gaitan scored both goals in Penn State’s 2-1 win over No.18 Michigan, the first off a penalty corner at 3:40 and the second on a two-on-one rush, then converted in the shootout as the Nittany Lions also beat Ohio State 4-3. Nine shots, six on target, across the two games. It’s her first career Big Ten offensive award, and the national coaches noticed too: she was an NFHCA honourable mention for the national award the same week.
Co-Defensive: Ilse Tromp and Anna Cogdell
Defenders who score two goals in a game tend to get noticed, and both of this week’s co-defensive winners did exactly that.
Northwestern’s Ilse Tromp, a senior from Rotterdam, scored twice in a 4-1 win over No.11 Indiana that handed Indiana their first conference loss. It was her third multi-goal game of the season, from defence, and it moved her into Northwestern’s all-time top ten for goals (48) and points (112). It’s her fourth career Big Ten weekly award. On Thursday she lines up against Maryland with the conference lead on the line.
Rutgers’ Anna Cogdell matched the trick: two goals in a 3-2 overtime win over No.18 Michigan, including the winner off a corner with five seconds left in overtime. Five seconds. Rutgers held their two opponents to two goals and nine shots across the week, and Cogdell’s first defensive award is well earned.
Freshman: Aida Ierubino, Maryland
Maryland’s freshman forward scored her fourth goal of the season in the No.1 Terps’ 4-0 win over Michigan State, off the bench, in a 14-0 start to the season. She’s the second Maryland freshman honoured this season, which tells you something about the depth behind that perfect record.
Thursday night, 7 pm Central in Evanston: No.1 Maryland at No.2 Northwestern, both 5-0 in the Big Ten, Tromp at one end and Ierubino’s Maryland at the other. The honours list just became a team sheet preview.
The national picture: NFHCA Players of the Week, the ACC stretch run, and the Big East honours.
