Field hockey sophomore foward Laurie Wilkins was named Mid-American Conference Offensive Player of the Week by the conference office on Tuesday.

Wilkins scored a goal in each game last week, including the only goal in a 1-0 victory over Central Michigan Saturday. The win secured second place and a first-round bye in the upcoming Mid-American Conference tournament Friday and Saturday in Oxford.

“It’s really been an honor,” she said. “I’ve been working towards it all year and it’s starting to hit in the right spot.”

The goals gave Wilkins six goals in her last five games.

Wilkins, along with the team’s other young forwards — freshmen Nicole Leach and Rachel Miller — really picked it up the second half of the season when junior foward Natalie Barrett went down early in the season with injury while leading the team in goals.

“Somebody had to step up when Natalie went out. Watching her every day just makes you want to do better,” she said. “You just don’t want to sit back and let somebody take it from you, so I decided to step up and do something about it.”

Wilkins’ hot streak got going Oct. 12 against Ball State when she scored three goals in a 5-4 loss. She finished second on the team in goals this season with eight.

— Jeff Russ