Villanova senior goalkeeper Maddi Sears became the first player in program history to earn an NFHCA Division I Defensive Player of the Week honorable mention. The National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) announced the honor Wednesday, Sept. 2.
The national recognition caps a dominant opening weekend for Sears, who played every minute in goal as the Wildcats opened the 2026 season 2-0.
Against Delaware on Friday, Aug. 28, Sears made nine saves on 10 shots faced. She held the Blue Hens to three scoreless quarters and posted a .900 save percentage in a 2-1 Villanova victory. Against La Salle on Sunday, Aug. 30, she stopped all six shots for her first shutout of the season in a 7-0 win. Across the two games, she finished with a .938 save percentage.
The honor is the seventh weekly award of Sears's career and her first at the national level. She had previously earned two BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week selections and four BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll nods. She picked up another BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week award for the opening weekend, announced Tuesday, Sept. 1.
Lysaght also earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the same stretch. The pair became the seventh duo in program history to sweep the conference's weekly offensive and defensive honors in the same week. The most recent Wildcats to do so before them were Ava Borkowski and Sears on Oct. 29, 2024.
Sears is only the second Wildcat to receive any NFHCA honorable mention. Lydia Sydnor earned one in 2019.
The Wildcats, coached by Joanie Milhous, went 5-13 last season but reached the BIG EAST playoffs before falling to Liberty 3-1 in the semifinals. The 2-0 start is the program's best opening-weekend record since that 2025 campaign ended.
Villanova travels to State College to face Penn State on Friday, Sept. 4 at 3 p.m.
