Photo by: Adam Creech | Louisville Athletics
Meghan Schneider Named Honda Award for Field Hockey Finalist
May 25, 2021 | Field Hockey
The University of Louisville's Meghan Schneider is one of four finalists for the Class of 2021 Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey as announced by Chris Voelz, Executive Director of THE Collegiate Women Sports Awards (CWSA) today.
She becomes the third Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey Finalist in program history. Mercedes Pastor was a finalist for the 2020 award and Jessica Javelet was Louisville's first field hockey finalist for the 2005-06 season
Â
Schneider joins UConn's Sophie Hamilton, North Carolina's Erin Matson and Stanford's Corinne Zanolli in the field of four finalists for the Class of Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey.
About the Honda Sport Award
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 45 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network, on June 28 at 9 pm ET.
Â
The field hockey finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). The Honda Sport award winner for Field Hockey will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Â
About Meghan Schneider
Named to the NFHCA DI Senior Team, Schneider led her team to the ACC regular season title and tournament top seed. The defender from San Diego, Calif., earned the Elite 90 Award for the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship posting the highest GPA (4.0) of participating semifinal teams.
Â
The three-year starter and team co-captain earned NFHCA All-West Region Second Team honors in 2019 and was the NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week on October 7, 2020. She has helped the Cardinals to 17 shutouts over the last four years – including a 1-0 win against No. 6 UConn in the NCAA quarterfinals to send Louisville to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history. She is a four-time NFHCA National Scholar of Distinction.
Â
About Louisville Field Hockey
The 2020-21 Cardinals posted a 14-6 overall record and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the NFHCA coaches' poll after reaching the program's first NCAA Final Four. In the fall, the Cardinals won the ACC regular season title and earned the top seed in the conference tournament after producing a 5-1 record which included a win over two-time defending national champion North Carolina, snapping the Tar Heels' NCAA-best 47-game win streak. Louisville registered a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.
In the spring, the Cardinals went on to earn the highest ranking in program history at No. 2 despite the loss of three seniors who opted out for the spring campaign. UofL earned the overall No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, marking the second straight season as a national seed, and went on to beat No. 6 UConn in the quarterfinals to advance to its first NCAA semifinal. Pitted against the No. 2 seed, Michigan, the Cardinals lost 2-1 in a sudden-victory shootout.Â
Â
She becomes the third Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey Finalist in program history. Mercedes Pastor was a finalist for the 2020 award and Jessica Javelet was Louisville's first field hockey finalist for the 2005-06 season
Â
Schneider joins UConn's Sophie Hamilton, North Carolina's Erin Matson and Stanford's Corinne Zanolli in the field of four finalists for the Class of Honda Sport Award for Field Hockey.
About the Honda Sport Award
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 45 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA- sanctioned sports and signifies "the best of the best in collegiate athletics". The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the prestigious 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented on a telecast on CBS Sports Network, on June 28 at 9 pm ET.
Â
The field hockey finalists were selected by a panel of coaches and experts from the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA). The Honda Sport award winner for Field Hockey will be announced next week after voting by administrators from over 1,000 NCAA member schools. Each NCAA member institution has a vote.
Â
About Meghan Schneider
Named to the NFHCA DI Senior Team, Schneider led her team to the ACC regular season title and tournament top seed. The defender from San Diego, Calif., earned the Elite 90 Award for the 2020-21 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship posting the highest GPA (4.0) of participating semifinal teams.
Â
The three-year starter and team co-captain earned NFHCA All-West Region Second Team honors in 2019 and was the NFHCA National Defensive Player of the Week on October 7, 2020. She has helped the Cardinals to 17 shutouts over the last four years – including a 1-0 win against No. 6 UConn in the NCAA quarterfinals to send Louisville to the NCAA Semifinals for the first time in program history. She is a four-time NFHCA National Scholar of Distinction.
Â
About Louisville Field Hockey
The 2020-21 Cardinals posted a 14-6 overall record and finished the season ranked No. 3 in the NFHCA coaches' poll after reaching the program's first NCAA Final Four. In the fall, the Cardinals won the ACC regular season title and earned the top seed in the conference tournament after producing a 5-1 record which included a win over two-time defending national champion North Carolina, snapping the Tar Heels' NCAA-best 47-game win streak. Louisville registered a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.
In the spring, the Cardinals went on to earn the highest ranking in program history at No. 2 despite the loss of three seniors who opted out for the spring campaign. UofL earned the overall No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, marking the second straight season as a national seed, and went on to beat No. 6 UConn in the quarterfinals to advance to its first NCAA semifinal. Pitted against the No. 2 seed, Michigan, the Cardinals lost 2-1 in a sudden-victory shootout.Â
Â
Players Mentioned
M/F
/ Field Hockey
B/M
/ Field HockeyFH: Justine Sowry Postgame Press Conference
Tuesday, November 04
FH: Justine Sowry on the 2025 senior class
Saturday, November 01
FH: Highlights vs No. 9 Syracuse
Saturday, November 01
FH: Highlights vs #19 Cal
Saturday, October 18
