Seven Penn State field hockey players received All-Big Ten honors, the conference announced Tuesday.

Ella Gaitain and Sienna Dunn led the way for the Nittany Lions as the only two to earn First Team All-Big Ten honors.

View this post on Instagram

Gaitain has been a standout in 2026 and earned first-team honors for her efforts.

She helped Penn State through an uber-successful October that included wins over then-No. 1 Northwestern and then-No. 13 Indiana. She was most notable in Penn State’s 3-0 win against Kent State earlier this season, notching two goals.

Gaitain leads the team with 11 goals and 25 points. She has a 17.2% shot percentage on 64 shots and a 57.8% shot-on-goal percentage on 37 shots on goal.

Dunn also made waves for the Nittany Lions this season, earning a spot on the First Team All-Big Ten list.

Dunn is one of four Nittany Lions with double-digit points (16). She has one goal, which came against Lock Haven. She also has 14 assists and nine shots, for an 11.1% shooting percentage and a 55.6% shot-on-goal percentage with five shots on goal.

Two more Nittany Lions made the Second Team All-Big Ten.

Oliva Marthins was the first. She was crucial in Penn State’s 4-3 penalty shootout win over Ohio State. She led the offense with two goals, five shots, and five shots on goal, including a goal off a deflection in that match.

Marthins has seen the field for 662 minutes and recorded eight goals, one assist, 17 points, and 23 total shots, 18 of which were on goal.

Lara Pyle also earned second-team honors.

She is seventh on the team in minutes played with 751. One of her most notable moments this season was scoring the lone goal in the upset against No. 13 Indiana 1-0.

Pyle has two goals, four assists, eight points, and eight total shots this season. She continues to improve offensively to help the team.

Keeping the theme of two Nittany Lions on each team, Lilly Holmes and Kira Takahashi-Trader made the Big Ten All-Freshman Team after impressive seasons.

One of Holmes most notable moments came in the shape of a goal against No. 1 Northwestern, which sealed the upset for the Nittany Lions and snapped the Wildcats’ conference win streak.

Holmes has seen the field for 884 minutes, which is third on the team, with one goal, three assists, five points, and four shots on goal.

Takahashi-Trader’s stats don’t jump off the page, but her defensive efforts have helped guide the Nittany Lions through low-scoring affairs all season.

The freshman from Yorktown, Virginia, has played 324 minutes for Penn State this season.

Emmy McCulley earned perhaps the most impressive award of the bunch. The senior earned the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award for her citizenship on and off the field.

While McCulley has played just four minutes so far, her impact on the team goes far beyond that. McCulley was recognized on Senior Day after the Nittany Lions’ big upset over No. 19 Lafayette.

About the Author