Sept. 17, 2012
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. — The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Sept. 10-16 in men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball, field hockey and cross country.
Bucknell is the hottest team entering the start of League play this weekend in men’s soccer. The Bison have won four in a row and will look to continue the strong showings of their high-powered offense, which scored 11 goals in two games last weekend. Holy Cross, Lafayette and Navy also picked up victories last weekend, giving them positive momentum at the start of League matches.
Bucknell and Navy had strong weeks and split the four weekly honors in women’s soccer. Chelsey Garkowski and Sandita McDermott were recognized after the Bison went 2-1, including a split of two matches in California. Navy’s Lizzy Rullan and Kaylie Davidson were honored after the Mids extended their win streak to nine straight with two weekend victories. American, Holy Cross, Lafayette and Lehigh picked up a win apiece last week as teams continue preparing for the start of League play Sept. 28.
After four weekends of non-League matches, conference play is set to begin this weekend in volleyball. Army and Bucknell both won two of three contests last weekend, with the former’s Mary Vaccaro picking up player of the week honors. Navy setter Alex Karika had a breakout weekend to earn the rookie of the week nod. League competition begins with four matches Friday and four more Saturday.
Lafayette might be knocking on the door of the top 25 in field hockey, as the Leopards moved to 5-1 on the season by beating No. 15 Drexel on Friday and Quinnipiac on Sunday. Deanna DiCroce and Brittany Blass each earned weekly honors for their roles in the victories, while Bucknell’s Erica Perrine and Kiersten Sydnor were honored in a 1-1 week for the Bison.
Seven Patriot League teams were in action in cross country, and once again multiple student-athletes found the winner’s circle in either invitationals or dual meets. American senior Mark Allen takes home the M-F Athletic Male Runner of the Week honor for finishing first at the Navy Invitational, while Navy’s Annie-Norah Beveridge is the M-F Athletic Female Runner of the Week after leading the Mids to the team title on the women’s side by placing second in the race.
Patriot League Men’s Soccer Weekly Awards
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
ALEX WILSON, NAVY Jr., F, Phoenix, Ariz.
Wilson led Navy during its 1-0-1 week, having a hand in each of the Mids’ first three goals in their 5-0 victory over Richmond on Saturday. He picked up assists on Navy’s first two goals, then scored his second of the season to put his team ahead 3-0 in the first half. His four points and two assists were both career highs.
BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
MAYOWA ALLI, BUCKNELL Jr., D, Lanham, Md.
Alli earned All-Tournament honors at Bucknell’s Class of ‘98 Invitational after a strong performance at both ends of the pitch. He anchored a defensive unit that posted back-to-back shutouts of Adelphi and Albany while allowing just three total shots on goal. On the offensive end he contributed a pair of goals and an assist for five points. His helper came in Friday’s 7-0 win over Adelphi after his long throw-in into the penalty area was converted by Jonathan Grad, while his goals came on headers following a corner kick and a free kick against the Great Danes.
BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week
NATHAN McDONALD, LAFAYETTE Jr., GK, Bay Village, Ohio
McDonald recorded his first shutout of the season and the fourth of his career as Lafayette returned to the win column with Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Mount St. Mary’s. McDonald had three stops for the Leopards, who picked up their second win of the season entering the first weekend of conference play.
BRINE Rookie of the Week
DEREK VOGEL, NAVY Fr., D, Long Beach, Calif.
Vogel picked up his second Rookie of the Week nod of the season after playing a huge role in Navy’s defensive effort during a 1-0-1 stretch. With Vogel at center back, the Mids’ D allowed just six on goal across the two contests. He marked Roberto Gimenez of defending CAA champion Delaware and held him to just three shots (one on goal) and no points in Wednesday’s 1-1 tie. Gimenez had six points in last year’s meeting with the Mids.
Honorable Mentions
BRENDAN BURGDORF, BUCKNELL Sr., M/F, Westfield, N.J.
Burgdorf tallied a pair of goals last week, one each in Bucknell’s victories over Adelphi (7-0) and Albany (4-0) at the Class of ‘98 Invitational in Lewisburg, Pa.
CHRIS THORSHEIM, BUCKNELL Fr., M, Manalapan, N.J.
Thorsheim tallied three assists in the two matches at the Class of ‘98 Invitational, which earned him a place on the All-Tournament Team.
PATRICK LETOURNEAU, COLGATE Sr., D, Bethlehem, Pa.
Letourneau’s goal with 40 seconds left in regulation salvaged a 1-1 tie for Colgate Sunday against Vermont.
JOSH CINTAS, HOLY CROSS Jr., F, San Diego, Calif.
Cintas scored the game-winner and assisted on another goal as Holy Cross upended Rhode Island, 2-1, for its first win of the season, giving the Crusaders their first win over the Rams since 1966.
NICK DUBEE, NAVY Jr., D, Carolina, R.I.
Dubee scored the first goal and added an assist on another to finish with three points in Navy’s 5-0 triumph over Richmond.
PATRIOT LEAGUE WOMEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY AWARDS
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
CHELSEY GARKOWSKI, BUCKNELL Jr., F, Brick, N.J.
Garkowski produced her first career two-goal game in Friday’s 3-1 victory over Cal State Bakersfield to open the Saint Mary’s Tournament. Her first tally gave the Bison the early lead in the fifth minute, and she added an insurance goal at the 62:29 mark to give Bucknell a 3-0 lead. Garkowski earned a spot on the All-Tournament team.
BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
LIZZY RULLAN, NAVY Fr., D, East Setauket, N.Y.
Rullan came off the bench and scored the game-winner in the second half as Navy completed the comeback for a 3-2 victory over James Madison Friday in Annapolis, Md. Her impressive weekend continued when she earned the start and played all 90 minutes of the Mids’ 5-0 blanking of VMI on Sunday, their third shutout of the season. The Navy defense held the Keydets to just one shot.
BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week
SANDITA McDERMOTT, BUCKNELL Sr., GK, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
McDermott was the keeper of record in all three of Bucknell’s matches during its 2-1-0 week. She opened the week with a clean sheet in the Bison’s 2-0 win over Mount St. Mary’s, and stopped six shots with no goals allowed before being relieved in the 74th minute of Friday’s 3-1 win over Cal State Bakersfield. Despite suffering the loss in Sunday’s 2-0 defeat to Saint Mary’s, McDermott made 10 saves against the Gaels and finished the week with a .895 save percentage.
BRINE Rookie of the Week
KAYLIE DAVIDSON, NAVY Fr., M, Oceanside, Calif.
Davidson picked up points in both Navy victories over the weekend. She assisted on Caprice Kelty’s game-tying goal in the Mids’ 3-2 come-from-behind win Friday against James Madison, while she came off the bench and scored in the 50th minute of Navy’s 5-0 shutout of VMI on Sunday. It’s Davidson’s second Rookie of the Week nod.
Honorable Mentions
SHAENA ALFONSI, AMERICAN Jr., M, Pittsfield, Mass.
Alfonsi scored with 28 seconds remaining in regulation to lift American to a 2-1 win over Howard Friday at home. The victory snapped a four-match skid.
JILLIAN KINTER, COLGATE Sr., F, Newburyport, Mass.
Kinter scored one goal in each of the Raiders’ two matches last week, extending her goal-scoring streak to three matches while giving her the League lead with eight goals and 20 points.
MEGAN GREINEDER, HOLY CROSS Fr., M, East Greenwich, R.I.
Nursing a leg injury, Greineder’s status was a game-time decision. She made the most of it, picking up two assists in the Crusaders’ 3-0 win Sunday over visiting Delaware State.
LAUREN SMEDLEY, LAFAYETTE Sr., GK, Hamilton, N.J.
Smedley went 1-1-0 last week, with her victory a three-save shutout in a 4-0 blanking of Wagner. It was her fourth clean sheet of the season and 24th of her career, moving her within one of sixth on the League’s all-time list.
ANI NAHAPETIAN, LEHIGH Fr., GK, Pleasonton, Calif.
Nahapetian came off the bench and made six saves to preserve Lehigh’s 3-0 blanking of Marist on Friday. She added nine more stops in Sunday’s loss against Stony Brook.
CAPRICE KELTY, NAVY So., F, Odenton, Md.
Kelty logged four points on the week on a goal and two assists, helping to extend Navy’s win streak to nine straight with victories against James Madison and VMI.
PATRIOT LEAGUE VOLLEYBALL WEEKLY AWARDS
Molten Player of the Week
MARY VACCARO, ARMY So., S, Orinda, Calif.
Vaccaro led the Black Knights in assists in all three matches last week, but also showed increased versatility as she took over the outside hitter role on certain rotations. She averaged 9.67 assists and 2.00 kills per match during Army’s 2-1 week, which included eight kills and no errors on 11 swings in Sunday’s 3-0 sweep of Sacred Heart. Vaccaro also averaged 2.22 digs per set and hit .387 for the week.
Molten Rookie of the Week
ALEX KARIKA, NAVY Fr., S, Cranberry Township, Pa.
Karika had the two best showings of her young career thus far with 35 assists in a three-set loss to the host Owls before bettering it with 37 more in a sweep of Central Connecticut in action at the Temple Invitational. She logged a double-double in the win over the Blue Devils, adding 12 digs. She also contributed a season-high three assists against Central Connecticut and another season-best four blocks against Temple. She averaged 12.00 assists and 3.17 digs per set for the weekend.
Honorable Mentions
SARAH RISHELL, AMERICAN So., OH/MB, Smithsburg, Md.
Rishell averaged 2.73 kills and 1.18 blocks per set as American competed in the Arizona Desert Classic. She logged 16 kills and five digs in the four-set win over Boise State.
JESSICA SERRATO, BUCKNELL Jr., OH, Millbrae, Calif.
Serrato played all nine sets for the Bison, who went 2-1 at their own invitational over the weekend. She hit .300 while averaging 3.22 kills and 2.33 digs per set, while posting double-digit kill performances against Fordham and Quinnipiac.
KAREN CAMPBELL, BUCKNELL Fr., MH, Chesapeake, Va.
Campbell was strong again for the Bison, hitting .429 while averaging 1.67 kills and 1.11 blocks per set as Bucknell went 2-1 over the weekend.
DIANE SEELY, COLGATE So., MB, Menlo Park, Calif.
Seely hit .308 and averaged 2.76 kills and 1.08 blocks per set as the Raiders competed at the Columbia Invitational over the weekend.
SARAH FROHNAPFEL, LAFAYETTE Sr., S, Stafford, Va.
Frohnapfel logged a double-double with 40 assists, which tied a season best, and 12 digs in Lafayette’s five-set victory over St. Francis (N.Y.).
RACHEL CHARLES, LEHIGH Jr., L, Farmington Hills, Mich.
Charles averaged 4.64 digs per set and tallied 65 total across 14 sets last week. She had 13 digs in Lehigh’s 3-0 sweep of Prairie View A&M at the TCU Molten Invitational.
ALEX CASSEL, NAVY So., MH, Sandy, Utah
Cassel had nine kills, a career-best for a three-set match, on 17 swings with just one error in Friday’s bout with Temple, before adding eight more on 13 tries with no errors in Saturday’s win over Central Connecticut. She hit .533 for the weekend and averaged 2.83 kills and 2.00 blocks per set.
PATRIOT LEAGUE FIELD HOCKEY WEEKLY AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DEANNA DiCROCE, LAFAYETTE Sr., F, Doylestown, Pa.
DiCroce assisted on both of Lafayette’s goals in a 2-1 win over No. 15 Drexel on Friday, then tallied an insurance marker late in a 4-2 win over Quinnipiac on Sunday as the Leopards improved to 5-1 on the season. Lafayette scored on a penalty corner with no time on the clock in the first half and added another midway through the second half against Drexel, with DiCroce feeding the entry pass on both goals. Lafayette earned its first victory over a ranked opponent since a win over No. 21 Penn State in 2009. DiCroce scored in the final minutes against Quinnipiac as Lafayette rallied from an early two-goal deficit. She moved into eighth place in Patriot League history with 109 career points, and tied for third with 33 assists. DiCroce earns her first Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award of the season, and now stands alone as the all-time leader with seven career honors.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
BRITTANY BLASS, LAFAYETTE So., M/D, Mountain Top, Pa.
Blass had both goals off penalty corners in Lafayette’s 2-1 win over No. 15 Drexel on Friday, and led a defense that allowed only 12 total shots in two wins last week. Blass gave Lafayette a 1-0 lead going into halftime with her first goal against Drexel, then added what turned out to be the game-winner with 16 minutes to go. Lafayette’s defense also stood tall against the 15th-ranked team in the nation as the Leopards held a 10-8 advantage in shots and 8-2 in penalty corners. Lafayette allowed only four shots in a 4-2 win over Quinnipiac on Sunday, with the defense helping the Leopards to rally from an early 2-0 hole. Blass is named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
ERICA PERRINE, BUCKNELL Jr., GK, Bridgewater, N.J.
Perrine earns her second Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award this season, and the fourth in her career, with a strong week that included a 2-0 shutout of Towson on Saturday and 13 saves in a 3-1 defeat against Ohio State on Sunday. Perrine made two saves in the 6-0 win over the Tigers before keeping the Bison close by stopping more than 80 percent of the shots she faced versus the Buckeyes. The shutout of Towson was the first of the season and third in Perrine’s career. Her three shutouts and 147 career saves both rank 11th in Bucknell history.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KIERSTEN SYDNOR, BUCKNELL Fr., M, Shippensburg, Pa.
Sydnor continues her early run of success by winning the Patriot League Rookie of the Week honor for the third time in the first four weeks in 2012. She tallied a pair of goals to help the Bison to a 6-0 win over Towson on Saturday. It was her first-career multi-goal game, and the four points were a career high. Sydnor shares the team lead with four goals and ranks third on the Bison with eight points this season.
HONORABLE MENTION
TAYLER SIEGRIST, BUCKNELL Sr., D, Madison, N.J.
Siegrist had two goals and two assists for a career-high six points in a 6-0 blanking of Towson on Saturday, and added a goal in a 3-1 loss to Ohio State on Sunday.
SHELLY MONTGOMERY, AMERICAN Jr., M, Fairfax, Va.
Montgomery had a goal and an assist in a 3-2 loss to No. 19 Michigan State on Friday and followed it up with a goal in a 2-1 win over Central Michigan on Sunday as American split its contests at the MSU Invitational.
HALLE BIGGAR, COLGATE Jr., F, Pepper Pike, Ohio
Biggar had three goals in two games for the Raiders last week, tallying the team’s only markers in a 4-1 loss to St. Francis (Pa.) on Saturday and a 3-2 double overtime defeat versus Lock Haven on Sunday.
CARLY GRIMAUDO, HOLY CROSS Jr., F, Hopewell Junction, N.Y.
Grimaudo tallied both Holy Cross goals in a 3-2 loss to Providence on Tuesday.
PATRIOT LEAGUE CROSS COUNTRY WEEKLY AWARDS
M-F ATHLETIC MALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
MARK ALLEN, AMERICAN Sr., Miami, Fla.
Allen placed first at the Navy Invitational on Saturday, running the 8K race in a time of 24:42.5 to cross the finish line nearly eight seconds ahead of teammate John Pope, the second-place finisher. The Eagles finished second in the seven-team field as Allen ran just over a minute over the course record. He earns the M-F Athletic Male Runner of the Week award for the second time in his career.
M-F ATHLETIC FEMALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
ANNIE-NORAH BEVERIDGE, NAVY So., Ann Arbor, Mich.
Beveridge placed second at the Navy Invitational with a time of 21:52 in the 6K race, leading her squad to the title in the seven-team field. Beveridge’s time tied for the fifth-fastest in course history and was just two seconds behind the first-place finisher. She is named the M-F Athletic Female Runner of the Week for the second time this season.
M-F ATHLETIC MALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
MIKE McCONVILLE, COLGATE Fr., Hingham, Mass.
McConville placed 16th out of 80 runners at the UB Stampede with a time of 25:55.0 on Saturday. He is one of only three Colgate freshmen to run under 26 minutes for an 8K. His time placed McConville second among the Colgate contingent as the Raiders placed third in the six-team race. McConville is named M-F Athletic Male Rookie of the Week for the first time.
M-F ATHLETIC FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
OLIVIA BRACKETT, COLGATE Fr., Weston, Mass.
Brackett had a strong outing for the Raiders as she placed sixth out of 97 runners at the UMass Cross Country Invitational on Saturday. Brackett ran the 5K race in a time of 18:30.14 to earn the top mark among Colgate runners and finish as the best freshman in the meet by 30 seconds. It is her second top 10 finish in as many meets this season, and also her second M-F Athletic Female Rookie of the Week award.
HONORABLE MENTION
CHRIS JOHNSON, COLGATE Sr., Berkeley Heights, N.J.
Johnson won the UB Stampede with a time of 24:59.6, the fastest mark on the 8K course in the past three years.
TYLER MUELLER, LEHIGH Jr., Pottstown, Pa.
Mueller finished first in the Lehigh-Lafayette dual meet with a time of 24:54 on the 8K course, leading the Mountain Hawks to a 16-47 win over the rival Leopards.
LISA JUNTA, ARMY So., Springfield, Va.
Junta helped Army to its first-ever title at the Iona Meet of Champions by placing third out of 82 runners in the 6K race with a time of 22:23.10.
JULIA PERRY, LEHIGH Sr., Reading, Mass.
Perry won the Lehigh-Lafayette dual meet with a time of 22:35 on the 6K course as the Mountain Hawks defeated the rival Leopards by a 17-46 score.
