CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Senior captain Hannah Pearce was named Ivy League Defensive Player of the Year, and head coach Tjerk van Herwaarden was named Ivy League Coach of the Year to highlight eight individuals from the Harvard field hockey program that were honored with Ivy League postseason awards.
 
Pearce and junior goalkeeper Ellie Shahbo earned First Team All-Ivy honors, while first-year midfielder Emily Guckian, senior captain Mimi Tarrant (Academic All-Ivy), and senior midfielder/forward Rachel Greenwood were named Second Team All-Ivy.
 
Sophomore Avery Donahue and first-year Megan Joel earned All-Ivy League Honorable Mention
 
Harvard leads the nation with a 0.42 goals against average, and is third among all NCAA teams with nine shutouts, and Pearce was the pivotal reason for Harvard's standout defensive play this year. Pearce is Harvard's free player and is a critical part of the team's defensive structure, as Harvard allowed just five goals in Ivy League games all season. In addition, she had a breakout year offensively, recording 13 goals and two assists to lead the team with 28 points.
 
Tjerk van Herwaarden helped lead the Crimson to its third NCAA Tournament in the last five seasons (2016, 2018, 2021), as Harvard finished the regular season 15-1 with a perfect 7-0 record in Ivy League play. He recorded his 100^th victory at Harvard last Saturday against Brown (W, 4-0), becoming the second Harvard field hockey coach to accomplish that feat. Under his leadership, Harvard has a 33-2 record in Ivy League play over the last five seasons.
 
Shahbo recorded the No. 1 save percentage (.857) and the No. 1 goals-against average (0.41) for all goalkeepers in Division I field hockey. She finished the regular season 15-1 with eight shutouts.
 
Guckian was one of Harvard's top two-way players, recording a goal and five assists and helping Harvard's defense become one of the top units in the nation.
 
Tarrant, Harvard's Academic All-Ivy selection, was tied for the team lead with nine assists and was a key part of Harvard's offensive attack, which ranked fifth in the nation with 2.75 assists per contest.
 
Greenwood was once again one of Harvard's unsung heros in the midfield, having one of her best games of the season in Harvard's 2-1 (OT-PS) win over No. 14 Princeton. She recorded two goals and an assist on the year.
 
Donahue was one of the team's top offensive threats, recording four goals and four assists, including the game-winning goal in overtime in a 1-0 win at No. 22 Monmouth on Sept. 12.
 
Joel also had an impactful year as a forward, notching four goals and an assist, including two goals in Harvard's 3-1 win at rival Yale.