Sprink picks up second B1G Defender of the Week honor

The weekly accumulation of Big Ten field hockey awards won by one or more Maryland Terrapins athlete continued with Tuesday's announcement that Sarah Sprink had been named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. In the six games the Terps have played in October, they have outscored their opponents by a cumulative 34-5. That stretch includes three shutouts.

Sprink, and her teammate Brooke Cabrera, who won the Defensive Player of the Week two weeks ago, anchor a defense that leads the B1G in goals allowed (17), average goals allowed, (1.13), and shutouts (6). Since the beginning of October, the Terrapins' defense has become even stingier conceding only five goals in six games. In fact, it has become difficult to simply get a shot off against the Terps. Maryland's opponents have averaged just 10.5 shots per game just about half the number the Terps have taken over the same period.

But Sprink excels at more than just holding the center of Maryland's defense. With a devastating flat driving shot, the junior from Germany has become one of Maryland's main weapons on penalty corners. Her nine goals tie her for second on the team with Moira Putsch and are three behind team leader Maxine Fluharty. As part of her award winning week, Sprink picked up two penalty corner goals in Maryland's 4-0 whitewash of Rutgers. With three regular season games plus the post season ahead, Sprink is on pace to surpass her career high 11 goals that she registered as a freshman.

The Terps return to action Friday afternoon when they will face the Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington. They close out the regular season in College Park to with a game against local foe American before they wrap up their inaugural B1G season on November first when they host Iowa.