Nov. 6, 2008
Annapolis, Md. - The 2008 Patriot League women's soccer major award winners were announced at Thursday night's Patriot League Championship Banquet at the U.S. Naval Academy, the site of the Women's Soccer Tournament. Bucknell's Jennifer Dervarics was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, while Defensive Player of the Year honors went to Navy's Shelly Moeller. The Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year award went to Navy's Lizzie Barnes, while Holy Cross' Katherine Donnelly was named Patriot League Rookie of the Year. Outgoing Army Coach Gene Ventriglia was named Patriot League Head Coach of the Year.
Dervarics was the leader of the League's most potent offense all season long. The senior forward led the Bison and the Patriot League in points (30) and goals (12), and was third in the League with six assists. Dervarics is now third in Bucknell program history in goals (36), assists (19) and points (91). The senior is the third player in Patriot League history to win back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year awards, and the first since Lehigh's Gina Lewandowski won in 2004 and 2005.
Moeller helped anchor a Navy defense that went 5-0-2 in Patriot League play this season. The junior, who was Co-Defensive Player of the Year in 2006 and has made 67 straight starts since her freshman season, was also an offensive threat, scoring three game-winning goals this season on her way to winning four Patriot League BRINE Defensive Player of the Week honors. Moeller is just the third two-time Defensive Player of the Year winner in Patriot League history, and the first since Navy's Nicole Aunapu accomplished the feat in 1997 and 1998.
Barnes was masterful in goal for the Mids this year, helping Navy shut out 12 opponents, six of them in Patriot League play. Barnes had a League-low 0.66 goals-against average and earned three Patriot League BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week awards. The senior is fourth on Patriot League and first on Navy's career shutouts list with 28 and is first on both the Patriot League and Navy career lists for goals-against average at 0.65. The Navy senior is also the 2008 Patriot League Women's Soccer Scholar-Athlete of the Year and is a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in the women's soccer division. Barnes is the first two-time Goalkeeper of the Year winner in Patriot League history.
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Donnelly becomes the first Holy Cross women's soccer player to earn Rookie of the Year honors since Kirsten Eckman won the award in 1990. The freshman earned two Patriot League Rookie of the Week awards this season and tied for third in the League in points (19), second in goals (eight), and tied for tenth in assists (three).
Ventriglia, the father of Army women's soccer, will retire at the end of the season after 23 years on the sidelines at Clinton Field. Ventriglia accumulated an overall record of 261-163-28, and led the Black Knights to an 11-6-2 overall record. The Black Knights went 4-1-2 in the Patriot League and earned the No. 3 seed in the Patriot League Tournament after being picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League in the 2008 preseason poll. This is Ventriglia's sixth Coach of the Year honor and first award since 2002.
The 2008 Patriot League Women's Soccer Tournament will get underway Friday afternoon. No. 4 Colgate will face No. 1 Navy at 4 p.m., while No. 3 Army will take on No. 2 Bucknell at 7 p.m. The winners of the two semifinal games will square off in the Championship match on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The 2008 Patriot League Women's Soccer Tournament will be streamed live for $9.95 via the Patriot League's All-Access Package. The commentary for the games will be provided by Navy commentators Pete Medhurst and Joe Miller. To access the Patriot League All-Access Package, please go to PatriotLeague.com, or click here.
