After a shutout performance against Northwestern, Penn State field hockey goalkeeper Aby Deverka captured her second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor of the season, the conference announced Monday.

Deverka stood tall in the cage, blanking the two-time defending national champions and snapping Northwestern’s incredible 35-game conference winning streak. She racked up seven clutch saves, anchored the defense during a seven-minute woman-down stretch in the final quarter, and stonewalled all three of the Wildcats’ penalty corners.

Deverka’s 2026 campaign boasts career-best marks in goals-against average, goals allowed, save percentage, wins, and shutouts. Against Northwestern, she reached 200 career saves.

Her presence led to Penn State’s ninth win out of its last 10 innings, making it one of the hottest teams heading into the Big Ten Tournament. Deverka and the Nittany Lions will open postseason play against Iowa at 5 p.m. on Wednesday.

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Lydia Delsite

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