Villanova field hockey's Ava Borkowski earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after scoring a career-high four goals in a 9-0 win over Queens on Friday, Sept. 11.
The BIG EAST announced the honor on Tuesday, Sept. 15. It is the second career Honor Roll nomination for Borkowski, a graduate student forward from Conshohocken. Her first came in September 2024.
The recognition caps a dominant week for the Wildcats. Borkowski scored twice in the first six minutes against Queens, added a third in the second quarter to complete her third career hat trick, then finished with a breakaway goal three minutes into the second half.
She put all six of her shots on goal.
Senior Colleen Finnan added a career-high six points on two goals and two assists in the Queens win. Freshman Sophie Wenk scored her first career goal and tallied an assist.
Villanova followed the Queens blowout with a 2-0 shutout of Lehigh on Sunday, Sept. 13. Borkowski kept the pressure on in that game, launching six shots on goal against the Mountain Hawks. Goalkeeper Maddi Sears recorded her fourth shutout of the season, as Lehigh failed to put a single shot on goal. The 9-0 and 2-0 results matched the program's best start since the 2022 season.
The Wildcats stand at 5-1, tied with Providence atop the BIG EAST standings, according to Villanova Athletics.
Borkowski entered the season with a string of honors. She earned BIG EAST Co-Offensive Player of the Year and All-BIG EAST First Team recognition after leading Villanova with nine goals, 18 points and 37 shots in 2025. The conference named her Preseason Offensive Player of the Year for 2026, and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) placed her on its Division I Watchlist for a second straight year.
Head coach Joanie Milhous pointed to Borkowski's shot selection in a Sept. 16 interview with The Villanovan. "She took quicker and smarter shots, which was really nice to see because she has been working really hard," Milhous said.
The Wildcats have already scored 28 goals this season, surpassing the 25 they scored in all of 2025, Milhous told The Villanovan.
Villanova opens BIG EAST conference play Friday, Sept. 18, at UConn. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. The Wildcats return home Sunday, Sept. 20, against Drexel at noon.
