By Bill Rudick
brudick55@gmail.com
EAST WHITELAND >> As a midfielder, Great Valley senior Eva Nemeth isn’t going to put up the gaudy stats like a forward, the kind of eye-popping goal totals that tend to attract the attention of the people handing out awards. But a center mid’s contribution to a team’s success is just as vital, running the offense and handling transitions from defense to offense. And few center mids have been as important to her team as Nemeth.
And those awards are finding her. Already having been honored by Pennsylvania High School Field Hockey Coaches Association as First Team All-State and the National Field Hockey Coaches Association All-Scholastic Team, Nemeth was recognized as the National High School Coaches Association (NHSCA) National Field Hockey Athlete of the Year.
This is the 25th year the NHSCA has given the award, and Nemeth is the fifth player from Pennsylvania to win it, and the first since Wyoming Seminary’s Kelsey Kolojejchick won the honor for the 2008-2009 sports season.
“To have the NHSCA recognize me as a midfielder has been great,” said Nemeth. “My sister Nadia, who is a forward, received lots of credit these past few years (including honors as The Daily Local News Player of the Year in 2022), and rightfully so. She scored over half the amount of the entire team’s goals this past season, including her 100th career goal.”
Despite the comparative lack of visibility for midfielders, Nemeth knows the role they play is no less important.
“As a midfielder, it’s common to be overlooked for these types of awards because our stats are not usually as impressive,” said Nemeth, who finished the year with 19 goals and 10 assists. “But we do play an integral role on the field by providing the forwards with the passes to score and achieve such stats. It’s an honor to have this recognition, because we do put in a lot of hard work.”
It’s the very complexity of the position that Nemeth enjoys the most.
“My favorite part of playing my position is my high level of involvement with the entire team,” said Nemeth. “I get to assist forwards in goals by providing passes, and I also get to initiate the attack on outlets with the defense. Being the center midfielder allows me to be the connector among all the positions on the field, whether that be the left and right side of the field or the defense and the offense.”
Nemeth also puts in the hard work in the classroom, and, along with twin-sister Nadia, will be headed to Northwestern University next fall to continue her field hockey and academic careers. She plans to major in Pre-Med/Biology.
“Eva is an excellent example of what this award stands for,” said Eric Hess, Executive Director of the NHSCA. “She has excelled as much in the classroom as she has on the field. We congratulate Eva on an outstanding high school career and wish her success at Northwestern University.”
