Temple University Athletics
Maes Named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year as BIG EAST Announces Preseason Awards
8.27.24 | Field Hockey
NEW YORK – Alizé Maes was named the BIG EAST Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Tess Muller was selected as a unanimous Preseason All-Conference honoree as the conference announced its preseason award winners and poll on Tuesday morning. The Owls were selected third by the league's coaches.
Maes is the first Temple player since the Owls joined the BIG EAST prior to 2013 to earn a preseason conference superlative.
A Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last season, Maes helped lead a Temple back line that finished in the top-25 in the nation last year in goals against average. She also was seventh in the conference with eight assists on the year.
Muller was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection and a Second Team All-Region honoree last season for a year where she posted six goals and six assists. She had three game-winning goals and posted four points with a goal and two assists against Villanova on October 20.
As a team, the Owls tied for third in the conference preseason poll, trailing Liberty and Old Dominion, while matching UConn with 33 points. Villanova was fifth with 26 points followed by Providence, Quinnipiac and Georgetown rounding out the poll.
BIG EAST Preseason Field Hockey Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes)
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Meghan Mitchell, Gr., F, Villanova *
Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Reagan Underwood, Gr., M, Liberty
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Alizé Maes, Sr., B, Temple
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Suus Broers, So., GK, Old Dominion
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team ^
Sol Simone, Jr., M, UConn *
Reagan Underwood, Gr., M, Liberty *
Suus Broers, So., GK, Old Dominion
Kerry McCormick, So., B, Old Dominion
Frederique Zandbergen, Jr., M, Old Dominion
Florencia Talarico, So., M, Providence
Lucia Pompeo, Sr., F, Quinnipiac
Alizé Maes, Sr., B, Temple
Tess Muller, Sr., F, Temple *
Sabine de Ruijter, Gr., B, Villanova
Meghan Mitchell, Gr., F, Villanova *
*unanimous selection
Maes is the first Temple player since the Owls joined the BIG EAST prior to 2013 to earn a preseason conference superlative.
A Second Team All-BIG EAST selection last season, Maes helped lead a Temple back line that finished in the top-25 in the nation last year in goals against average. She also was seventh in the conference with eight assists on the year.
Muller was a First Team All-BIG EAST selection and a Second Team All-Region honoree last season for a year where she posted six goals and six assists. She had three game-winning goals and posted four points with a goal and two assists against Villanova on October 20.
As a team, the Owls tied for third in the conference preseason poll, trailing Liberty and Old Dominion, while matching UConn with 33 points. Villanova was fifth with 26 points followed by Providence, Quinnipiac and Georgetown rounding out the poll.
BIG EAST Preseason Field Hockey Coaches' Poll
(first-place votes)
| Rank | Team | Pts |
| 1. | Liberty (4) | 46 |
| 2. | Old Dominion (2) | 43 |
| 3. | UConn (2) | 33 |
| Temple | 33 | |
| 5. | Villanova | 26 |
| 6. | Providence | 22 |
| 7. | Quinnipiac | 14 |
| 8. | Georgetown | 7 |
Preseason BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year
Meghan Mitchell, Gr., F, Villanova *
Preseason BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year
Reagan Underwood, Gr., M, Liberty
Preseason BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year
Alizé Maes, Sr., B, Temple
Preseason BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year
Suus Broers, So., GK, Old Dominion
Preseason All-BIG EAST Team ^
Sol Simone, Jr., M, UConn *
Reagan Underwood, Gr., M, Liberty *
Suus Broers, So., GK, Old Dominion
Kerry McCormick, So., B, Old Dominion
Frederique Zandbergen, Jr., M, Old Dominion
Florencia Talarico, So., M, Providence
Lucia Pompeo, Sr., F, Quinnipiac
Alizé Maes, Sr., B, Temple
Tess Muller, Sr., F, Temple *
Sabine de Ruijter, Gr., B, Villanova
Meghan Mitchell, Gr., F, Villanova *
*unanimous selection
Players Mentioned
M/F
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