CLEVELAND – Following a weekend that featured four goals and the team's fifth shutout of the season,
Sophia Baxter was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday.
The honor is Baxter's first MAC Defensive Player of the Week selection of the 2026 season after she earned the award four times during her 2025 campaign.
In Friday's matchup against Central Michigan, Baxter recorded her first career hat trick, scoring all three goals in the second half. A two-way standout, she played a pivotal role in the shutout victory, single-handedly thwarting multiple counterattacks while driving play past the 23-meter line to generate scoring chances.
The momentum from the Friday matchup carried into Sunday's road contest at Kent State. Baxter was crucial in preventing the Golden Flashes from extending their lead throughout the afternoon before scoring the equalizing goal late in the fourth period to force overtime in an eventual 3-2 victory.
Baxter's defensive leadership has been central to App State's success all season, anchoring a unit that holds opponents to just 1.93 goals per game, the third-lowest average in the MAC.
The Mountaineers return to conference action Friday when they travel to Harrisonburg, Va., to face James Madison at 2 p.m.
Sport-specific giving allows you to directly support App State student-athletes and help provide them the resources they need to be successful.
Click here to contribute to the App State Field Hockey support fund.
Keep up with App State Field Hockey wherever you go by following the Mountaineers on social media. Follow @appfieldhockey on
X, Instagram and
Facebook. Download the App State Athletics App for
iOS or
Android to keep the Mountaineers at your fingertips.
