NORTH ATTLEBORO, Mass. – Laurentien van den Akker, a junior back for the ninth-ranked Saint Anselm College field hockey team, picked up her first career Northeast 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week nod, the conference office announced Monday afternoon.

van den Akker's offensive play helped guide Saint Anselm to a 2-0 victory over its cross-town rival, Southern New Hampshire, as she assisted on the first and scored the second goal to help the Hawks past the Penmen in the regular season finale. The Hawks limited the Penmen to just eight shots and five corners, as they recorded their fifth consecutive shutout to round out the campaign.

The Hawks wrapped up the regular season with a 10-2 conference record, earning the third seed in the NE10 Championship. Saint Anselm (13-5) is set to make its 10th straight NE10 Championship appearance in a quarterfinal-round matchup against the No. 6 seed, Pace University (8-10), on Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 4:00 p.m. at Grappone Stadium. The Hawks defeated the Setters in the NE10 opener back on Sep. 20, with Saint Anselm earning a 3-1 victory at home.

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