2013: Appeared in 13 matches ... Academic All-Big Ten.
2012: Appeared in 19 games, making three starts ... Notched a goal and an assist in a victory over Pacific (9/2) ... Posted a goal in a win at No. 13 Wake Forest (9/11) ... Assisted on a goal in a win over Kent State (10/7) ... Scored a goal in a win over Indiana (10/12) ... NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree ... Academic All-Big Ten ... Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
2011: Started all 21 games for NU as a sophomore midfielder ... Finished the season with a career-best five goals for 10 points ... Scored the first goal in the 2-1 upset of No. 8 American (9/11) ... Recorded two goals in the 5-4 win over No. 7 New Hampshire (9/24) ... Took 26 shots, sending 20 on goal ... NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree ... Academic All-Big Ten ... Big Ten Distinguished Scholar.
2010: Played in 18 games and started one in her true freshman season ... Finished the season with one goal and one assist ... Recorded her first career goal against Kent State (10/3) ... Tallied an assist in 10-0 win over Saint Louis (9/12) ... Recorded three shots against UC Davis (10/7) ... NFHCA National Academic Squad honoree.
High School: Started every game of four-year varsity career at the Ellis School, scoring 50 career goals and recording 32 assists ... 2009 first-team all-state and second-team honoree in 2008 ... WPIAL All-Star for three straight seasons (2007-09) ... Team won WPIAL championship in 2008 and WPIAL sectional titles in 2006, 2008 and 2009 ... Posted four games with hat tricks during senior season before shifting to center defense ... Played three consecutive years in National Futures Championship, winning a bronze medal in 2007 on the U-16 squad ... Barbara Longstreth Sportsmanship Award winner in 2009 ... Two-year competitor in Futures Elite ... Competed in AAU Junior Olympics in 2008-09 ... Played five years on Team Golden Triangle, which competed four years in a row at the National Hockey Festival and two years at the National Indoor Tournament ... 2009 NFHCA High School National Academic Squad member and winner of the Harvard Book Award.
Personal: Born Maria Vladimirovna Kovalchuk in Krasnoyarsk, Russia ... Daughter of Vladimir Kovalchuk and Milla Karkkainen ... Competed on same team as NU teammate Colleen Petronchak at AAU Junior Olympics in 2007 ... Trilingual in English, Russian and Finnish ... Majoring in classics at Northwestern.
Getting to know Maria
Name your three favorite songs on your I-pod: Black & Yellow, Waka Waka, Just Like We Do
Facebook or Twitter: Twitter. #TotalAthleteMove.
Describe Tracey in five words or less: A strong woman
What's the best part of playing Northwestern Field Hockey? Being coached by a two-time Olympian, having my best friends as teammates, and playing in the tough Big Ten Conference
Favorite food: Claire's cookies
Favorite TV show: I don't have time to watch TV.
Favorite movie: Inception
Favorite book: Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Favorite vacation spot: Corsica
Favorite place to shop: Banana Republic and Whole Foods
If I wasn't playing field hockey, I'd be playing: Tennis
If I could be any character from a TV show or movie I'd be: I know it's cheesy, but I'd be Allie Hamilton
Pregame superstitions: Wearing the same socks at every game
Best NUFH memory so far: Beating #6 Ohio State, Lynch teasing me in Michigan
Which NUFH player is the biggest jokester on the team? Catherine
Favorite thing to do besides play field hockey? Either sleeping or eating
Dream job: A classicist
Best thing about Northwestern: The people and Chicago