Six Cardinals Earn NFHCA All-West Region Honors
June 01, 2021 | Field Hockey
Six University of Louisville field hockey players earned 2020 National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) Division I All-West Region honors as announced by the organization today. Alli Bitting, Mercedes Pastor and Meghan Schneider were selected to the first team while Julie Kouijzer, Aimee Plumb and Charlie van Oirschot were named to the second team.
Â
This marks the third consecutive year that the Cardinals have placed at least six players on the All-Region teams and the fourth time in the last five years.
Bitting (Hummelstown, Pa.) takes home her third straight all-region honor after registering a career-high eight assists and two goals, including one in the 1-0 NCAA quarterfinal win against No. 6 UConn. The two-time All-ACC selection and team co-captain was named to the 2020-21 NCAA All-Tournament team after Louisville's first-ever NCAA semifinal appearance. Additionally, the midfielder was named ACC and NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week in October and helped the Cardinals record four shutouts on the season.
The marks the third consecutive All-Region selection for Pastor, a senior midfielder/forward from Buenos Aires, after leading the Cardinals with 13 goals – five of them game-winners. She also dished out six assists, including one in Louisville's 1-0 win over No. 6 UConn in the NCAA quarterfinals and totaled 32 points. With her career-best season efforts, she finished the year ranked second in goals and points. The preseason all-conference selection was named ACC Player of the Week four times and NFHCA National Player of the Week three times. She is a two-time NFHCA All-American and a three-time All-ACC selection (2018, 2019, 2020) and was selected to the NFHCA Senior Team.
Â
Schneider (San Diego, Calif.), earns her second straight all-region nod. 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 was named to the NFHCA DI Senior Team.
Â
The defender 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 and is a finalist for the 2020 NCAA Honda Award for Field Hockey.
Â
Kouijzer, a sophomore defender from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, earns her first NFHCA regional recognition after helping the Cardinals to four shutouts. The two-year starter was tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week on April 20 and was named to ACC All-Tournament Team in 2019 and 2020.
Â
Plumb, a freshman forward from Canterbury, England, caps an impressive freshman season in which she stood second on the team with 15 points, tallying six goals and two assists. She was also named to 2020-21 NCAA All-Tournament Team following her efforts in the Cardinals' first NCAA semifinal appearance.
Â
Van Oirschot (Haarlem, The Netherlands) made an immediate impact during her rookie campaign, garnering all-ACC second team honors. The midfielder tallied four goals and dished out two assists while starting all 20 games.
Â
About Louisville
Louisville finished the 2020-21 season with a 14-6 overall record and ranked No. 3 in the NFHCA coaches poll and achieved numerous milestones along the way, including reaching the program's first NCAA Final Four. In the fall, the Cards 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 posted a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.
Â
In the spring, Louisville 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. Competing in their first-ever Final Four, the Cardinals battled with the No. 2 seed Michigan but eventually fell 2-1 in a sudden-victory shootout.
Â
Â
This marks the third consecutive year that the Cardinals have placed at least six players on the All-Region teams and the fourth time in the last five years.
Bitting (Hummelstown, Pa.) takes home her third straight all-region honor after registering a career-high eight assists and two goals, including one in the 1-0 NCAA quarterfinal win against No. 6 UConn. The two-time All-ACC selection and team co-captain was named to the 2020-21 NCAA All-Tournament team after Louisville's first-ever NCAA semifinal appearance. Additionally, the midfielder was named ACC and NFHCA Defensive Player of the Week in October and helped the Cardinals record four shutouts on the season.
The marks the third consecutive All-Region selection for Pastor, a senior midfielder/forward from Buenos Aires, after leading the Cardinals with 13 goals – five of them game-winners. She also dished out six assists, including one in Louisville's 1-0 win over No. 6 UConn in the NCAA quarterfinals and totaled 32 points. With her career-best season efforts, she finished the year ranked second in goals and points. The preseason all-conference selection was named ACC Player of the Week four times and NFHCA National Player of the Week three times. She is a two-time NFHCA All-American and a three-time All-ACC selection (2018, 2019, 2020) and was selected to the NFHCA Senior Team.
Â
Schneider (San Diego, Calif.), earns her second straight all-region nod. 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 was named to the NFHCA DI Senior Team.
Â
The defender 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 and is a finalist for the 2020 NCAA Honda Award for Field Hockey.
Â
Kouijzer, a sophomore defender from Amsterdam, The Netherlands, earns her first NFHCA regional recognition after helping the Cardinals to four shutouts. The two-year starter was tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week on April 20 and was named to ACC All-Tournament Team in 2019 and 2020.
Â
Plumb, a freshman forward from Canterbury, England, caps an impressive freshman season in which she stood second on the team with 15 points, tallying six goals and two assists. She was also named to 2020-21 NCAA All-Tournament Team following her efforts in the Cardinals' first NCAA semifinal appearance.
Â
Van Oirschot (Haarlem, The Netherlands) made an immediate impact during her rookie campaign, garnering all-ACC second team honors. The midfielder tallied four goals and dished out two assists while starting all 20 games.
Â
About Louisville
Louisville finished the 2020-21 season with a 14-6 overall record and ranked No. 3 in the NFHCA coaches poll and achieved numerous milestones along the way, including reaching the program's first NCAA Final Four. In the fall, the Cards 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 posted a runner-up finish to UNC in the fall ACC tournament.
Â
In the spring, Louisville 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. Competing in their first-ever Final Four, the Cardinals battled with the No. 2 seed Michigan but eventually fell 2-1 in a sudden-victory shootout.
Â
Players Mentioned
B/M
/ Field Hockey
B/M
/ Field Hockey
M/F
/ Field Hockey
M/F
/ Field Hockey
B/M
/ Field Hockey
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
