In Dutch back Sabine de Ruijter, Villanova field hockey have a burgeoning star to build around
The sophomore is among the Big East's top players and will be key as Villanova looks to build on a 6-11 season.
Until last week, standout Villanova field hockey player Sabine de Ruijter did not know what her teammates meant when they said to bring the ball to the 16 after a foul. She didn’t know if the 16 was a line or a time, but recently understood that it meant she could bring the ball to the top of the circle.
De Ruijter is able to blame her confusion with American field hockey terms on the fact that she hails from Huizen, Netherlands, where the term 16 does not exist. Even though she was unaware of this advantage for a season and a half, she has still emerged as a premiere member of Villanova’s team.
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Just 18 years old, the sophomore back leads the team in goals with 10 and is tied for second in points this season with 22. Those totals are good enough for fourth and sixth, respectively, in the Big East. Last season, in 14 games as a freshman, de Ruijter finished second on the Wildcats in both goals (six) and points (13), and was named second-team all-conference.
According to head coach Joanie Milhous, de Ruijter’s talent is bolstered by her immense strength, which helps with her great drag flick, and allows her to get balls out of the backfield. This is the skill that first put de Ruijter on Villanova’s radar.
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“As a player on the field, she’s super determined,” Milhous said. “She’s reliable. She wants it. And off the field, she’s just a sweet, really nice kid.”
After coming across de Ruijter’s highlight videos, Villanova’s coaching staff set up multiple Zoom calls to persuade her to make the move. Ultimately, she did.
Last year, when she was just 17 years old, de Ruijter moved into her dorm room at Villanova without her parents’ help, because they were unable to come into the U.S. Since then, de Ruijter said, her teammates and coaches have helped her transition to life in the U.S. This large and daunting life change was well worth it for the draw of Villanova’s ideals, according to de Ruijter.
“I just really liked that they also made a point that you’re also coming here for school,” de Ruitjer said. “They really put the point of you’re a student-athlete, so you’re also a student.”
There are other differences between field hockey in the U.S. and the Netherlands besides the 16-line. One, and the most important to de Ruijter, is the ability to balance high-level field hockey and a college education in the U.S.
In the Netherlands, top field hockey clubs are separate entities from universities, making it difficult to maintain classes. De Ruijter saw older girls pursue college careers in the U.S. and decided that was the path for her. Currently undeclared but planning on pursuing a degree in communications, de Ruijter takes pride in the academics at Villanova in conjunction with her field hockey career.
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“Here, I saw the perfect opportunity to combine a really good academic life and a really good school life with the sport I love,” de Ruijter said. “I really liked how it focuses on school but also a lot of focus on field hockey. I just saw a really good opportunity to keep playing at a high level and also have a whole new life.”
Villanova was 6-11 going into the last game of the season, Friday at Georgetown. Milhous believes that her team is more talented than the record suggests. She said that partly because of the team’s youth it has had difficulty finishing games it could have won. To Milhous’ point, five of the Wildcats’ 11 losses have come by a single goal, including three in overtime.
“I’m frustrated for these girls that we’re just not finishing in the way we can be, because they’re working so hard,” she said. “They have awesome attitudes, culture is great, everything is great, except the win column.”
De Ruijter will be critical to the future of the field hockey program. With young talent like de Ruijter gaining more experience and moving into leadership positions, the team hopes to become more of a threat in the Big East next season.
“We’re on the verge of a breakthrough,” Milhous said. “She’s going to be a part of that breakthrough.”