Nov. 1, 2010

Center Valley, Pa. — The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Oct. 25-31 in field hockey, men’s and women’s soccer, volleyball and swimming and diving Monday.

With the regular-season title and top seed in the Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament on the line Saturday, the seven-time defending champion stepped up as No. 8 American knocked off Lafayette 3-1 to place first in the regular season and earn the top seed in the Tournament for the eighth year in a row. Alex McMakin scored the first two goals in the game, and earned both the Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week awards for her performance. Gina Hoffman was named the Defensive Player of the Week as the Eagles held the Leopards to just seven shots in the game. Bucknell knocked off Colgate 3-2 in overtime in the other contest pitting teams that had qualified for the League Tournament, but Raider senior Kirsten Lalli receives her fifth Goalkeeper of the Week award for making 20 saves in the game. The 2010 Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament begins with the semifinals Friday, with No. 4 Colgate at No. 1 American at 11:30 a.m. and No. 3 Bucknell taking on No. 2 Lafayette at 1:45 p.m. The Championship is set for Saturday at 1:30 p.m., with the entire event taking place at American's Reeves Field.

Army clinched the No. 1 seed for the Patriot League Women’s Soccer Tournament in dramatic fashion scoring with 25 seconds left to earn a share of the regular-season title with second-place Bucknell. Lehigh earned the third seed and Colgate nabbed the fourth seed. Erringer Helbling, who scored the game-winning goal for Army, was named the Offensive Player of the Week, while Lehigh’s Genna Pepe was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Bucknell’s Sandita McDermott picked up a shutout to earn the share of the regular-season title with Army. American’s Brenna Smith won the Rookie of the Week award.

With one week left of the men’s soccer season, three teams will be battling for one playoff spot. Colgate, Lehigh and American have all clinched playoff berths and will fight for seeding in the final weekend, while Navy, Bucknell and Lafayette will fight for the final spot. Freshman Ben Wysocki helped Lehigh clinch this past weekend with his game-winning goal and was named the Offensive Player of the Week. The goalkeepers in the Colgate-Navy 0-0 double-overtime draw were both honored this week, as the Raiders Chris Miller was named the Goalkeeper of the Week and the Mids Aaron Dupere was named the Rookie of the Week. American’s Michael Roberts was named the Defensive Player of the Week after being a part of two double-overtime 0-0 draws.

American and Army volleyball continued to cruise through Patriot League play winning matches over the weekend. American’s Cassandra Ricketts had an impressive .722 hitting percentage in the Eagles’ win to earn the Player of the Week award. Colgate freshman Lindsay Young was named the Rookie of the Week.

Navy continues to dominate the male swimming and diving awards. After Mac Anthony captured the first two honors of the season, junior teammate Mark Meyer was named this week’s Male Swimmer of the Week for his efforts in the Mids’ contest against Virginia, a team that finished eighth in the CSCAA Top 25 last season. Navy’s Olaf Olson kept his streak alive as he won the Male Diver of the Week award for the third consecutive time, becoming the first student-athlete to win that award three straight weeks to open the season. American’s Dory Isaacs earned her first weekly award of the year thanks to two individual victories in her team’s victory Saturday over Howard. 


Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards
Offensive Player & Rookie of the Week
ALEX McMAKIN, AMERICAN Fr., F, Blue Bell, Pa.
McMakin helped make sure that the Eagles would win the Patriot League regular season and the top seed in the 2010 League Championship this weekend, as she scored the first two goals in a 3-1 win over Lafayette Saturday. She scored in the 23rd minute and again in the 50th to give the Eagles a 2-0 lead. Both goals came off deflections. The victory gave the Eagles their eighth straight regular-season title and the top seed in the League Tournament that comes with it. McMakin is the second American freshman to win the Offensive Player of the Week award after classmate Shelly Montgomery did it on Sept. 20. McMakin earns her second Rookie of the Week award, joining Montgomery, fellow classmate Lotte van de Mierop and Colgate’s Halle Biggar as freshmen with multiple awards in 2010. She is the only player this season to win multiple awards in the same week.

Defensive Player of the Week
GINA HOFFMAN, AMERICAN So., D, Braunschweig, Germany
Hoffman led another stout defensive effort by the No. 8 Eagles as American clinched the Patriot League regular-season title and the top seed in the League Championship with a 3-1 win over Lafayette Saturday. The Eagles limited a Lafayette offense that scored 11 goals last weekend to just one goal on seven shots, and kept a unit that came in averaging 8.6 penalty corners per game to only four on the afternoon. Hoffman earns the Defensive Player of the Week award for the third time this year.

Goalkeeper of the Week
KIRSTEN LALLI, COLGATE Sr., GK, Pound Ridge, N.Y.
Lalli takes home her fifth Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award, and third in the past four weeks, after an outstanding performance with 20 saves in Colgate’s 3-2 overtime loss at Bucknell Saturday. She kept the Raiders in the game with seven saves in each half and six in the overtime session, which ended with just seconds to play. It was the third time this year that Lalli has recorded 20 saves or more, and she leads the Patriot League and is among the top players nationally with 166 saves for the season. Lalli earns consecutive Goalkeeper of the Week awards to close the season after doing the same to open the year. Her five awards this season are one off the Patriot League record set by American’s Alyssa Poorman in 2007.

Honorable Mentions
CAITLIN DONNELLY, LEHIGH Jr., F, Bethlehem, Pa.
Donnelly scored a key insurance goal in the second half of Lehigh’s 2-1 win over Holy Cross Saturday.

CORINNE RACZEK, BUCKNELL Sr., M, Ocean Township, N.J.
Raczek assisted on the game-winning goal with four seconds left in overtime as Bucknell beat Colgate 3-2 Saturday. The assist, the 34th in her career, ties Raczek for the program record and moves her into fourth place in Patriot League annals.

JESSICA MILLER, LEHIGH Sr., GK, Lititz, Pa.
Playing only the first half, Miller made four saves and did not allow a goal in Lehigh’s 2-1 win over Holy Cross.


Patriot League Women’s Soccer Weekly Award
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
ERRINGER HELBLING, ARMY Jr., F, Wayne, Pa.
Helbling scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Holy Cross, lifting Army to the No. 1 seed in the Patriot League Tournament and a share of the regular-season title. Her goal came with 25 seconds left in regulation.

BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
GENNA PEPE, LEHIGH Jr., D, Staten Island, N.Y.
Pepe won her second Defensive Player of the Week award after her performance in a 1-0 shutout of Lafayette in a League game over the weekend. Pepe also tallied an assist on the game’s only goal. In the 90th minute, she prevented a potential tying goal from being scored by catching up to Lafayette’s Jill Dozier, who was on a breakaway, and stealing the ball back for Lehigh.

BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week
SANDITA McDERMOTT, BUCKNELL So., GK, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
McDermott posted her third shutout of the season in a 1-0 win over Colgate Saturday. She made seven saves in the win to help Bucknell share earn a share of the Patriot League regular-season title.

BRINE Rookie of the Week
BRENNA SMITH, AMERICAN Fr., D, Ashburn, Va.
Smith recorded an assist from the defensive position in American’s 3-2 win over Navy. Trailing 2-1 late, Smith pushed up into the offensive end to help the Eagles tie the game in the 88th minute.

Honorable Mentions
ALEX LOSTETTER, ARMY Sr., GK, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Lostetter allowed just one goal in a 2-1 overtime win over Bucknell and held Colgate scoreless in a 0-0 double-overtime draw. She made four saves overall. The goal allowed to Bucknell ended a scoreless streak that spanned six games for Army’s opponents. Her shutout against Colgate was her 10th this year and 30th of her career, moving her into sole possession of second place all-time in League history.

CHRISTA MATLACK, BUCKNELL Sr., F, South Williamsport, Pa.
Matlack scored the game-winning goal in the 12th minute of a 1-0 win over Colgate Saturday, helping Bucknell share earn a share of the Patriot League regular-season title. She now has 32 goals and 78 points for her career, both ranked fifth in school history.

JANA BASUBAS, LEHIGH Jr., MF, Canyon Lake, Calif.
Basubas scored the lone goal in Lehigh’s 1-0 win over Lafayette Saturday, sealing up the third seed in the Patriot League Tournament. She also keyed the midfield defensive attack, holding Lafayette to four shots and none in the first half.


Patriot League Men’s Soccer Weekly Awards
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
BEN WYSOCKI, LEHIGH Fr., MF, Lower Makefield, Pa.
Wysocki scored the Mountain Hawks’ game-winning goal in a 1-0 overtime win over Army, clinching a berth into the Patriot League tournament. It was Wysocki’s first career goal, which came in the 107th minute. He is the first freshman to have scored a goal for Lehigh this season. He also recorded a shot in a 1-0 non-League loss to Yale last week.

BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
MICHAEL ROBERTS, AMERICAN Jr., D, Rowlett, Texas
Roberts anchored the Eagles’ defense in two double-overtime draws last week, including a stalemate with Holy Cross. He played 213 of the 220 minutes, limiting the University of Alabama-Birmingham, ranked No. 4 in the Midwest region, and Holy Cross to a combined 20 shots.

BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week
CHRIS MILLER, COLGATE Jr., GK, Dallas, Texas
Miller recorded seven saves in a 0-0 double-overtime draw with Navy, lowering his GAA to 0.86, ranked second in the League. It was his seventh shutout of the season.

BRINE Rookie of the Week
AARON DUPERE, NAVY Fr., GK, Royal Palm, Fla.
Dupere posted his sixth shutout of the season, drawing even with League-leader Colgate after two overtimes. Dupere made six saves, with three coming in the second overtime. He also made two saves in a 2-1 loss to N.C. State last week.

Honorable Mentions
MICHAEL KIM, ARMY So., F, Gardena, Calif.

Kim scored a goal and an assist in the Black Knights’ 3-1 win over Sacred Heart last week. He was held scoreless in Army’s overtime loss to Lehigh.

B.J. GLENN, LAFAYETTE Sr., F, Philadelphia, Pa.
Glenn scored the game-winning goal in the Leopards 2-1 overtime win over Bucknell. The goal that came in the 93rd minute kept the Leopards’ playoff hopes alive.

MATT MAKOWSKI, AMERICAN Jr., GK, Quakertown, Pa.
Makowski recorded five saves, including a game-saving sliding stop in overtime to help the Eagles draw even 0-0 after two overtimes with Holy Cross. Makowski has not allowed a goal in 125:28 and has a 1.10 GAA.


Patriot League Volleyball Weekly Awards
Player of the Week
CASSANDRA RICKETTS, AMERICAN Sr., RS, Sandy, Utah
Ricketts helped American win its 17th straight with her 14 kills in a 3-0 defeat of Navy Friday. She made just one error on 18 attempts to post a .722 hitting percentage. She also had five blocks, three digs, two assists and two aces.

Rookie of the Week
LINDSAY YOUNG, COLGATE Fr., MB, Tampa, Fla.
Young had 14 kills and a .367 hitting percentage in a 3-1 win over Bucknell Friday. She recorded seven of her 14 kills in the fourth and match-deciding set. She also had six digs and two blocks in the win.

Honorable Mentions
FRANCINE VASQUEZ, ARMY So., RS, Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.
Vasquez posted a double-double in the Black Knights’ 3-2 win over Holy Cross, registering 22 kills and 14 digs. She also had two blocks, an ace and a .327 hitting percentage.

LOGAN KEALA, COLGATE Sr., OH, KANEOHE, Hawaii
Keala recorded a double-double in Colgate’s 3-1 win over Bucknell with 17 kills and 10 digs. She also had three aces, two blocks and one assist. She notched a .387 hitting percentage in the League win.


Patriot League Swimming and Diving Weekly Awards
Male Swimmer of the Week
MARK MEYER, NAVY Jr., Bethesda, Md.
Meyer captured the 200-yard butterfly in 1:49.50, nearly 1.5 seconds off an NCAA B-cut time during Navy’s 156-136 loss to Virginia last week. The Cavaliers finished No. 8 in the final CSCAA poll from last season. His victory in the 200 fly was by 0.84 seconds. He played second in the 100 fly with a clocking of 50.31, just 0.25 seconds out of first place. Meyer also finished fifth as the top Navy swimmer in the 200 individual medley.

Female Swimmer of the Week
DORY ISAACS, AMERICAN Sr., San Jose, Calif.
Isaacs posted two first-place finishes in her team’s victory Saturday over Howard. He posted a time of 54.11 to capture gold in the 100-yard freestyle, then took the 200 free in 2:00.11. In addition to her individual efforts, she was also part of the winning 200 medley relay team in the meet versus the Bison.

Male Diver of the Week
OLAF OLSON, NAVY Sr., Bainbridge, Wash.
Olson won the three-meter event against Virginia with a score of 327.15 and was the runner-up from the one-meter board with a score of 319.20. His victory was by 6.9 points, while he finished 45.30 points behind teammate Hayden Jones in the one-meter event.

Female Diver of the Week
No Nominations

Honorable Mentions
SEAN MCNAMARA, AMERICAN Jr., Auburn, N.Y.
McNamara logged wins in the 50- and 100-yard freestyles, finishing in 21.94 and 48.67, respectively. He also swam the anchor leg of American’s winning foursome in the 200 medley relay.

BRIAN POWER, HOLY CROSS So., Southport, Conn.
Power logged three first-place showings Saturday afternoon at Springfield. He captured gold in the 100- and 200-yard breast events and the 200 individual medley. His times in the 200 breast and 200 IM were his best of the season.

GAEL CARTER, HOLY CROSS Sr., Tampa, Fla.
Carter won the 100-yard backstroke and finished in the top three of the 50 and 100 freestyles Saturday against Springfield. In each event she improved upon the time she’d posted earlier in the week at Siena.