California Golden Bears Athletics
Uges Earns NFHCA Defensive Player Of The Week Honor
9/16/2026 8:00 AM | Field Hockey
Freshman Defender Becomes First Cal Player To Earn National Player Of The Week Award
California field hockey freshman Flore Uges was named the National Field Hockey Coaches Association Division I Defensive Player of the Week, the organization announced Wednesday.
She becomes the first Golden Bear in program history to earn a national player of the week honor since the NFHCA began presenting weekly awards in 2016.
Uges was also named ACC Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday for her crucial contributions on both sides of the ball during the Bears' 2-0 weekend.
Against No. 8 Michigan, Uges scored the game's only goal to help secure Cal's highest-ranked road victory since 2015. The game-winning goal against the Wolverines also marked her first career goal as a Bear. She also played a key role in the Bears' defensive effort, helping secure the shutout while holding the Wolverines without a shot in the third quarter and limiting them to one penalty corner throughout the game.
On Sunday, Uges again helped anchor the back line, contributing to a strong defensive effort that held off Michigan State and secured a 3-2 victory. The win completed the Bears' weekend sweep and kept their undefeated start to the season alive, marking Cal's first 5-0 start since 2011.
The No. 18-ranked Bears will return to action when they face the defending back-to-back national champion and No. 1-ranked Northwestern at UC Davis on Saturday.
