FREDERICKSBURG, Va. -- After leading the Christopher Newport field hockey team to a pair of decisive victories, Brooke Billhimer has been selected as the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week.

The weekly award is the first of Billhimer's standout career and the fifth straight defensive honor for the Captains. Previously, Marcella Sabbagh was honored on September 26 and October 10, Alexis Morales earned the recognition on October 3, and Lily Kerr brought home the award on October 17.

During Christopher Newport's two outings last week, Billhimer played all 120 minutes while anchoring the back line. She helped the Captains limit their opposition to just a single goal while extending their winning streak to eight straight games.

On Monday during a 4-1 triumph over Susquehanna, Billhimer blocked a season-high three shots, including a pair of rips during a third-quarter surge with the Captains fostering a tight one-goal lead. She also added a clutch interception along the right pipe at the tail end of the first half and broke up a 3-on-2 rush during a dangerous rally in the 40th minute.

Wrapping up her award-winning week on Friday, Billhimer came through with another showcase during a 4-0 win at Rhodes. The sophomore star contributed her second defensive save of the season in the 27th minute. She also helped the Captains kill off all three penalty corners by the Lynx and closed the door on a breakaway in the fourth quarter with a deflection along the right post.

So far this season, the Gloucester, Virginia native leads Christopher Newport with 892 minutes of action and has played every second in each of the past 10 games. During her time on the field, she ranks second on the team with two defensive saves while also contributing four points, including a pair of assists.

Aided by Billhimer's efforts, the Captains stand eighth in the NCAA in scoring defense with a microscopic 0.67 goals-against-average. The team's nine shutouts also rank ninth in the country.

Billhimer and the rest of her teammates will return to action on Wednesday when Christopher Newport travels to No. 3 Salisbury for the Coast-to-Coast Athletic Conference opener at 5 p.m.

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