Drexel University Athletics
Van Hellemont Named CAA Preseason Player of the Year; Drexel Picked Second in Preseason Poll
8/20/2026 2:01:00 PM | Field Hockey
RICHMOND, Va. – Valentine Van Hellemont was selected as the 2026 CAA Preseason Player of the Year, as Drexel Field Hockey was picked second in the CAA Preseason Poll. Van Hellemont was also named to the Preseason All-CAA Team, joining Pili Lemoine and Fleur Hamers. Additionally, Florienne Bosdijk, Nicole Enslin, Cato Nackaerts, and Ava Trexler were all named as honorable mentions.
Van Hellemont, the 2024 and 2025 CAA Player of the Year and first team All-American, tied for the most goals (8) and assist (12) for the Dragons last season on the way to winning the CAA championship.
Lemoine returns for her senior season after being named to the 2025 All-CAA First Team while finishing the 2025 season with 8 goals and 12 assists both tied for leading the team. Lemoine received CAA Offensive Player of the Week honors twice during the 2025 season.
Hamers returns for her sophomore campaign after earning All-CAA Second Team and CAA All-Rookie Team honors during the 2025 season, Hamers tallied four goals and nine assists on the year.
Bosdijk, Enslin, Nackaerts and Trexler were all named honorable mentions for the Dragons. Bosdijk earned All-CAA Rookie Team honors adding four points from the midfield. Enslin made 13 starts for the Dragons last year and was a staple of the defense that posted four shutouts on the year. Nackaerts, the freshman from Belgium, enters her first season for the Dragons in 2026. Trexler, a Maryland transfer has appeared in 26 games over her collegiate career.
The Dragons received 38 points with two first place votes in the coaches preseason poll, following Monmouth with 40 points. Fairfield collected one first place vote along with 31 points to finish third. Northeastern finished fourth with 25 points, slightly ahead of Towson (23 points) and Hofstra (19 points). Rounding out the poll was William and Mary who earned nine points.
The reigning 2025 CAA Champions are set to open the 2026 campaign on the road against Maryland on August 28th. The Dragons will return to Buckley Field facing off against Long Island University on Friday, September 4th.
