IOWA CITY, Iowa -- University of Iowa field hockey sophomore Katie Birch is the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced Monday. It is the third weekly honor of Birch’s career and her first Offensive Player of the Week honor.
A native of York, England, Birch is the second Hawkeye to earn a weekly honor this season. Freshman Maddy Murphy was named Freshman of the Week on Sept. 11.
Birch registered the third hat trick of her career and second of the season in Iowa’s 4-3 victory over Indiana on Friday at Grant Field. Birch recorded her first hat trick of the season against New Hampshire on Sept. 10. Her first career hat trick came in the Hawkeyes 11-0 victory over Saint Louis (Sept. 4, 2016).
The sophomore added an assist in the match against Indiana for a total of seven points and leads the Big Ten in goals (12) and is second in points (27) and points per game (2.25) this season.
Birch and the Hawkeyes return to action Sunday, facing No. 2 Duke at 11 a.m. (CT) in Durham, North Carolina.