- Senior Recognition -

Name: Sofiya Bobrovnikova (Field Hockey & Women's Lacrosse)

Hometown/High School: Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast
 
Parents: Larisa Bobrovnikova & Alexander Bobrovnikova
 
Major: Economics and History
 
Expected Future Plans (Job, Graduate School, etc.): To Be Determined
 

Notable Stats: 

Women's Lacrosse - A three-year participant with the women's lacrosse program, Sofiya appeared in 41 games and made 34 starts. She registered 57 goals and 33 assists for a total of 90 points. An active player all over the field, she finishes with 100 draw controls, 82 ground balls and 43 caused turnovers. She was on pace for a career-best season in 2020 before the season was cut short due to COVID-19. She ranked second on the squad in goals (17), points (21) and draw controls (36) in 2020. She earned PAC Offensive Player of the Week (March 2) and PAC Defensive Player of the Week (March 16) during the season. 

Field Hockey - A three-year member of the field hockey program, she appeared in 54 games, 46 of which were starts. A key player in the midfield, she tallied three goals and two assists during her playing career. She scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 Empire 8 win at Elmira College on Oct. 5, 2019. 
 
Honors (Athletic and Academic):

Field Hockey - Zag Field Hockey/NFHCA All-Academic (3x), Empire 8 President's List (Spring 2020), All-Empire 8 Second Team (2019), Empire 8 Sportsmanship of the Year ((2019)
Lacrosse - All-PAC First Team (2019), PAC Offensive Player of the Week (March 2, 2020), PAC Defensive Player of the Week (March 16, 2020), PAC Academic Honor Roll (Spring 2020)
Academic - Donald W. Ebbert Award, Dean's List (5x)
 
Most Memorable W&J Moment: Winning back-to-back Empire 8 Field Hockey conference championships in 2017 and 2018. 
 
 
What was your favorite class or professor at Washington & Jefferson College?
The Dunns and basically the entire history department
 
What message or advice would you like to give your teammates?
Always play hard and don't take it for granted

 

WORDS FROM HER TEAMMATES

1.    How has Sofiya impacted you in your sport and your life?

Reghan Dunn: "Sof has impacted me by being such a supportive teammate over the past three years. Her dedication to school and both field hockey and lacrosse was inspiring! She is one of a kind."

Rena Israel: "Ever since freshman year, Sof has been dedicated to our team and always strives to be the best. She inspired me to be a better player and person, and practicing with her helped me achieve that.  Off the field, she's been my rock all through college.  Whenever I need her, she's there for me.  I couldn't have asked for a better friend and teammate."

Clara Sherwood: "Sof has impacted me by helping me get over my lifelong dislike of avocados. However, on a more serious note, she has taught me about a true importance of sports that I often forget about during my busy life as a student-athlete. Sports give us the irreplaceable opportunity to build lifelong relationships with our teammates through working towards a common goal and by sharing both victories and losses."

2.    What are some memorable moments from your time with Sofiya? 

Reghan Dunn: "A memorable moment I had with Sof was after our sophomore year Empire 8 win. I ran to hug Sofiya because we were so excited and as I wrapped my arms around her, I realized that she was dripping wet in sweat. Her whole entire uniform was soaking wet like it had just come out of the washer. That was one of the most repulsive, but still hilarious moments with Sof."

Rena Israel: "My favorite memories with Sof are from when we went on a Jayterm trip to Vietnam together our freshman year.  It made us even closer because we had to suffer through two full days of travel across the world, but I wouldn't want to go on a 13 hour plane ride with anybody else.  Winning the 2018 Empire 8 Championships was so memorable with Sof because it was amazing to be able to contribute towards such a great accomplishment with your best friend."

Clara Sherwood: "I have lots of memorable moments with Sof, on and off the field. During games, we had secret plays that we would run together and I always had confidence that she could catch my draws, no matter where they landed. Off the field, my favorite moments include becoming too excited about driving to Trader Joe's, going on sushi outings, and embarrassing ourselves trying to learn how to shoot a basketball."

3.    What makes Sofiya special as a person and teammate?

Reghan Dunn: "Sofiya is special as a person because she quite literally runs through life with a smile and a carefree attitude that radiates positivity to everyone around her. As a teammate her positivity helped me to push through the long practices and tough conditioning drills to make me a better player. In life and in sports, she just keeps pushing through. She makes everything look so easy and effortless to the people around her."

Rena Israel: "Sof is always undeniably herself in every situation. She always stands up for what she believes in and never gives up on what she is passionate about. I can always count on her to get the ball up the field or be my friend off the field."

Clara Sherwood: "Not only is Sof an incredible athlete and student, but she is also a considerate and humble friend who has the sometimes annoying trait of being unable to speak ill of anyone. She sees the best in everyone and has helped me become a more empathetic and understanding person and teammate. In particular, Sof is a special athlete because she never seems to tire and can run at the average person's sprinting pace for miles (I'm not exaggerating, she can run a 7:15 mile pace for 9+ miles easily)."
WORDS FROM THE COACHES

Jomara Coghlan on Sofiya 

"Sofiya was one of the hardest working players I've ever had the opportunity to coach. She always wanted to know how to improve and because of that mindset, I watched her get better and better each year. Her work ethic, leadership and ability to always hold herself to a higher standard made Sof someone the other players looked up to. We will truly miss her presence on and off the field."

Alison Valerio on Sofiya

"Sofiya has had a significant impact on our program. Not only has she excelled in the classroom, she also contributed considerably to our team's success throughout her career. Each year, Sof has shown tremendous growth and potential, and remains one of the hardest working players I've had the pleasure to coach. Not only is she a strong student-athlete, but she's a wonderful teammate and friend with a personality to match. We wish Sof the best of luck and know she will continue to make us proud!"




We want to thank Sofiya for her hard work, dedication and resiliency during her time at W&J. Once a President, Forever a President. #PrezPride