Great Valley's Eva Nemeth wins NHSCA National Field Hockey Player of the Year Award.
Written by Bill Ruddick
brudick55@gmail.com
EAST WHITELAND >> As a midfielder, Great Valley senior Eva Nemeth notches the flashy stats of a forward, an eye-popping number of goals that tend to grab the attention of those handing out awards. I'm not going. But equally important is the center mid's contribution to the team's success, running the attack and handling the transition from defense to attack. And few center mids are as important to a team as Nemeth.
And those awards found her. Nemeth, who has already been honored as First Team All-State by the Pennsylvania High School Field Hockey Coaches Association and Team All-Academic by the National Field Hockey Coaches Association, was recognized as the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) Field Hockey Player of the Year. . .
This is the 25th year the NHSCA has presented this award, and Nemeth becomes the fifth player from Pennsylvania to win the award, with Wyoming Seminary's Kelsey Kolodzejczyk winning the award during the 2008-2009 athletic season. This is the first time since winning the honor.
“It's great that the NHSCA recognized me as a midfielder,” Nemeth said. “My sister Nadia, who is a forward, has received a lot of recognition in recent years (including honors as the 2022 Daily Local News Player of the Year), and it's no surprise. Including goals, he scored more than half of the team's goals last season.
Despite the midfielders' relative low profile, Nemeth understands the role they play is just as important.
“As midfielders, our statistics are usually not that impressive, so awards of this kind are commonly overlooked,” said Nemeth, who finished the season with 19 goals and 10 assists. “But we play an essential role on the field by providing the forwards with the passes to score and achieve such results. We are very honored to receive such recognition.”
It's precisely that complex position that Nemeth enjoys most.
“My favorite thing about playing my position is the high level of interaction with the entire team,” Nemeth said. “You can provide passes and assist the forwards in their goals, or you can start attacking the outlet with the defense. I can be the link between all the positions.”
Nemeth works hard in the classroom and, along with her twin sister Nadia, plans to attend Northwestern University next fall to continue her field hockey and academic careers. She plans to major in pre-med/biology.
“Eva is a great example of what this award stands for,” said NHSCA Executive Director Eric Hess. “She excelled in the classroom as much as she did on the field. We congratulate Eva on her outstanding high school career and look forward to her honor at Northwestern University. We wish her every success.”
