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Rebecca Wagner Named National, CAA Rookie of the Week
The Tribe freshman tallied game-winners in both Tribe victories over the weekend.
08/27/07 6:30PM
Williamsburg - William and Mary freshman forward Rebecca Wagner wasted little time making an impact on the Tribe field hockey program, and reaped the rewards of both conference and national rookie of the week. On Monday, Wagner garnered both the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) Rookie of the Week and the womensfieldhockey.com National Rookie of the Week honors, following a weekend in which she scored a trio of goals in the Tribe’s pair of season opening victories.
“Becca came off the bench and immediately sparked the team with great touches on cage,” head coach Peel Hawthorne said. “Throughout preseason, her intensity and confidence grew stronger daily. She learns quickly and has responded to everything we have asked her to do. I am delighted she had such a successful freshman debut.”
Wagner became the first Tribe player since Shannon Karl in 2002 to take home the CAA weekly award, and the first ever to win the web site accolade for a rookie although Ann Ekberg was named the National Player of the Week by womensfieldhockey.com on Nov. 5, 2002.
In her first collegiate game against Lock Haven, Wagner scored twice in the second half, propelling the Tribe to a 4-2 victory over the defending Northeast Conference Champions and NCAA Play-in Game participants from last season. She notched her first career goal, redirecting a shot from senior Laura Kastelic into the back of the boards in the 40th minute. The Virginia Beach, Va., native scored the eventual game-winner on a rebound in the 61st minute for her second tally against Lock Haven.
She became the first W&M freshman since Lianne Ligtvoet in 2000 to score two goals in one game. Ligtvoet accomplished the feat against Columbia on Oct. 13, 2000. In the College’s 5-0 win over Fairfield on Sunday, Wagner tallied the game-winner on a pass from redshirt freshman Alexis Gerber to start the scoring in the 24th minute.
Wagner and the Tribe will return to action when they travel to Durham, N.C., for a pair of matches against top-10 foes. W&M will meet No. 4 Duke on Saturday, Sept. 1, at 1 p.m., before facing No. 10 Iowa on Monday, Sept. 3, at 1 p.m. The Blue Devils have advanced to each of the last four NCAA Final Fours, while it will be the first ever contest between the Tribe and Iowa. The contest with the Hawkeyes will also serve as a reunion of sorts for W&M assistant coach Quan Nim Anderson, who was an All-American at Iowa in 1999.
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