Penn State field hockey forward Sophia Gladieux was named an NFHCA Player to Watch, the program announced Thursday.

Gladieux became just the fourth Nittany Lion to represent the United States in field hockey during the Olympics this past summer. The Boyertown, Pennsylvania, native scored her first career Olympic goal in the opening game of the 2024 Paris Olympics against world No. 7 Spain.

The forward led Penn State in 2023 with points, 45, achieving that with 21 goals, and 3 assists. She was more than recognized for her efforts winning First Team All-Big Ten, First Team NFHCA All-Region, First Team NFHCA All-American, and Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year.

This year Gladieux will look to use her international experience to continue her dominance in the college game.

The fifth-year senior and the rest of the Nittany Lions will kick off the year by hosting Virginia at 4 p.m. on Friday, August 30.