CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Syracuse graduate forward Pieke van de Pas and Virginia junior forward Taryn Tkachuk shared Atlantic Coast Conference Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Syracuse redshirt freshman goalkeeper Abby Neitch was named ACC Defensive Player of the Week. Tkachuk earned ACC Offensive Player of the Week laurels for the second straight week.
A native of Weert, Netherlands, van de Pas scored twice in a top-10 road win at No. 8 Louisville on Friday, striking twice in a four-minute span to lift the Orange to a 4-1 win. Her first was a bar-down reverse chip rocket, while the second was a sweeping shot on a corner. Van de Pas put five of her six shots on goal as the Orange out-shot the Cards 16-8. It was van de Pas' third multi-goal game of the season and first in ACC play.
Tkachuk scored a goal and added an assist in Virginia’s comeback win over No. 2 North Carolina on Friday. The native of St. Louis, Missouri, scored the game winner against UNC. She also started the third-quarter comeback by setting up Noa Boterman's goal that began a streak of three goals scored in a span of 5:17 that erased UNC's 2-0 halftime lead.
Making her second career start, Neitch collected the first win of her Syracuse career in the Orange’s road win over Louisville. The Holland native made four saves in the win, stopping 80 percent of the shots she faced. After a slow opening 47 minutes, Neitch was poised in the fourth quarter, staring down all three Louisville corners and all eight of the Cardinal shots in the fourth frame.
Six ACC programs are ranked in the NFHCA Top 20 this week. Duke is No. 2 and followed by No. 4 North Carolina, No. 5 Virginia, No. 10 Syracuse, No. 12 Louisville and No. 13 Boston College. The final of league play begins Friday with a trio of contests, including Duke at North Carolina at 6 p.m., which airs live on ACC Network. The winner will earn the No. 1 seed in the upcoming ACC Tournament. Also on Friday, Louisville plays at Boston College and Wake Forest at Syracuse.
2023 ACC Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 29 – Laura Janssen, Gr., F, Virginia
Sept. 5 – Tyler Everslage, Fr., F, Louisville
Sept. 12 – Alaina McVeigh, So., F, Duke
Sept. 19 – Margo Carlin, Gr., F, Boston College
Sept. 26 – Kira Curland, Jr., M, Duke
Oct. 3 - Eefke van den Nieuwenhof, Sr., B, Syracuse
Oct. 10 – Hannah Miller, Gr., F, Duke
Oct. 17 – Ryleigh Heck, So., F, North Carolina; Taryn Tkachuk, Jr., F, Virginia
Oct. 24 – Pieke van de Pas, Gr., F, Syracuse; Taryn Tkachuk, Jr., F, Virginia
2023 ACC Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 29 – Merlijn van der Vegt, Gr., GK, Louisville
Sept. 5 – Romea Riccardo, Sr., B, North Carolina
Sept. 12 – Tyler Kennedy, Jr., GK, Virginia
Sept. 19 – Piper Hampsch, Sr., GK, Duke
Sept. 26 – Piper Hampsch, Sr., GK, Duke
Oct. 3 – Mia Duchars, Sr., M, Louisville
Oct. 10 – Mia Duchars, Sr., M, Louisville
Oct. 17 – Adele Iacobucci, Gr., M, Virginia
Oct. 24 – Abby Neitch, R-Fr., GK, Syracuse