ANNAPOLIS, Md. - After a season that saw the Lander Field Hockey team win the South Atlantic Conference Championship in only their second season of competition, Robbert Schenk was named the Division II National Coach of the Year by Synapse Sports the organization announced today. In addition, three athletes were also honored as Aniek Vreeken (Utrecht, Netherlands) was named a second team All-American while Philippine Drost (Almelo, Netherlands) and Leira Van Tilburg (Nieuw-Vennep, Netherlands) were named to the Division II All-Rookie team. Vreeken is the second Bearcat to earn the All-American honor from the group, joining Sophie Schmitz last year. Drost and Van Tilburg also join Schmitz as athletes named to the All-Rookie team as well.

Schenk led the Bearcats to a 13-6 record which included wins over two nationally ranked teams and the aforementioned conference championship. The Bearcats were a force on both sides of the field as they outscored their opponents by over a goal per game, scoring 2.37 goals per game and only allowing 1.21 goals per game, including eight shutouts. 

Vreeken was Lander's leading scorer, netting ten goals while also tallying three assists for 23 points, earning herself first-team All-Conference honors. Vreeken scored three of those goals in the Blue and Gold's 3-2 win over then eighth-ranked Millersville, the program's first ever win over a ranked team. She also scored the game tying goal in the SAC Championship game against Limestone to send the game to overtime where Lander eventually came out on top. 

Drost was named second-team All-Conference after a 14 point season, her seven goals were top-ten in the country amongst freshman. Van Tilburg also earned second-team All-Conference honors, scoring four goals, including the game-winning goal at the horn to upset top-seeded and fourth-ranked Mount Olive in the SAC Semifinals and was a steady force on the defensive side of the ball.