Oct. 18, 2010
Center Valley, Pa. - The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Oct. 11-17 in field hockey, men's and women's soccer and women's volleyball, cross country and swimming Monday.
American's Christine Fingerhuth won her fourth straight Offensive Player of the Week award in field hockey as the Eagles garnered two of four weekly awards. Hannah Weitzman was named the Goalkeeper of the Week as American moved to 3-0 and clinched a playoff spot. Lafayette also clinched a playoff spot moving to 3-0 with a dominating 8-0 shutout, led by a hat trick from Meghan Cicchi, who was named the Defensive Player of the Week. Bucknell's Vickie Resh earned her first collegiate point and was named the Rookie of the Week. Her assist on the game-winning goal helped the Bison clinch a playoff spot.
Navy's Aaron Dupere continued his great freshman campaign in men's soccer, being named the Goalkeeper and Rookie of the Week with his second straight shutout, helping the Mids move to 1-1-2 in the League. Lehigh moved to 2-1-1 with a win over Holy Cross, thanks to two goals from Neal Melchionni, the Offensive Player of the Week. American held on to second place with a scoreless tie that featured big defensive plays by Michael Roberts, who won the Defensive Player of the Week.
Lehigh and Bucknell women's soccer each won Patriot League contests over the weekend to remain atop the League standings with 3-1 records. The two teams combined to win three of four awards. Lehigh's Genna Pepe was named the Defensive Player of the Week and Paige Dyrek was selected as the Rookie of the Week. Bucknell's Sandita McDermott was named the Goalkeeper of the Week. Colgate, which moved to 2-2 in the League, was led by Jillian Kinter, who won the Offensive Player of the Week award.
In cross country, it was Navy's Andrew Hanko and Colgate's Elise DeRoo who topped the weekly awards once again. Hanko won his fifth Male Runner of the Week award in 2010 and DeRoo won her third Female Runner of the Week this year. Navy's C.J. Elward won his first Male Rookie of the Week award, and Jessica Kendzor won her second Female Rookie of the Week award.
American remained undefeated in Patriot League women's volleyball with two more wins to move to 7-0. Army also had a 2-0 week to remain one game behind American at 6-1. Army's Ariana Mankus was the named the Player of the Week and American's Juliana Crum was selected as the Rookie of the Week.
October marked the start of the swimming and diving season in the Patriot League, and several League teams swam events last week with Navy winning sweeping the four weekly awards. Mac Anthony was named the Male Swimmer of the Week and Olaf Olson was named the Male Diver of the Week. Kellie Darmody was selected as the Female Swimmer of the Week and Courtney Vandament was named the Female Diver of the Week.
Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards
Offensive Player of the Week
CHRISTINE FINGERHUTH, AMERICAN Sr., F, Santiago, Chile
After becoming the first player in League history to win the award three consecutive times, Fingerhuth takes home her fourth Offensive Player of the Week honor in a row after another outstanding effort in No. 9 American's 6-1 win at Colgate Saturday. She recorded her first career hat trick and also assisted on a goal in a seven-point afternoon. She assisted on the Eagles' first goal, then scored the game-winner in the 26th minute to put American up 2-1. She added goals in the 44th and 47th minute in the second half to help the Eagles pull away. Fingerhuth has scored 12 goals in American's last eight games, and leads all Patriot League players with a career-high 14 goals and 30 points for the season. The four awards in a single season tie Lafayette's Megan Monahan (2002) and Colgate's Ashley Schneider (2004) for the most in League history.
Defensive Player of the Week
MEGHAN CICCHI, LAFAYETTE Sr., D, Thousand Oaks, Calif.
Lafayette's standout senior put together one of the finest games of her career with four goals in the Leopards' 8-0 blanking of Holy Cross Saturday. It was the highest total for a Patriot League player this season, and just one off the League record. She had a hat trick in the first half of the game as the Leopards opened up a 5-0 lead at half. All four of Cicchi's goals came off penalty corners. She also led a strong defensive effort that held the Crusaders to just one shot on goal and two shots overall. Cicchi tallied the Leopards' lone goal in a 2-1 stroke-off loss to Columbia Wednesday to finish with five goals and 10 points for the week. Cicchi extends her Patriot League record to 10 career Defensive Player of the Week awards, and earns the honor for the third time this season.
Goalkeeper of the Week
HANNAH WEITZMAN, AMERICAN Sr., GK, Montclair, N.J.
Weitzman receives the Patriot League Goalkeeper award for the third time in the past five weeks after a stellar weekend to help No. 9 American extend its winning streak to 12 games. She stopped a shot in the Eagles' 6-1 win at Colgate Saturday, then came up huge in Sunday's 2-0 blanking at No. 18 Albany. Weitzman saved all eight shots she faced in the game to record her fourth shutout of the year. Seven saves came in the second half with the Eagles protecting the lead. She stopped nine of 10 shots for the week. Weitzman has allowed eight goals and picked up all of her shutouts during American's 12-game win streak.
Rookie of the Week
VICKIE RESH, BUCKNELL Fr., M, Hamburg, Pa.
Resh earned her first collegiate point by assisting on Kelly Bruvik's game-winning goal with less than 20 minutes remaining in Bucknell's 2-1 win over Lehigh Saturday. The victory clinched a Patriot League Tournament berth for the Bison. Resh receives her first Rookie of the Week award.
Honorable Mentions
DEANNA DiCROCE, LAFAYETTE So., F, Doylestown, Pa.
DiCroce set a Patriot League record with six assists in an 8-0 win over Holy Cross Saturday, and also assisted on the Leopards' goal in 2-1 stroke-off loss against Columbia Wednesday for seven on the week.
GINA HOFFMAN, AMERICAN So., D, Braunschweig, Germany
Hoffman scored a goal in each of No. 9 American's victories over the weekend, including the game-winner in a 2-0 triumph at No. 18 Albany Sunday.
KELSEY ANDERSEN, LAFAYETTE Sr., GK, West Long Branch, N.J.
Andersen had nine saves in a 2-1 stroke-off loss to Columbia Wednesday, and shut out Holy Cross with one save.
KELLY BRUVIK, BUCKNELL So., F, Skillman, N.J.
Bruvik scored the game-winning goal in the second half of Bucknell's 2-1 win over Lehigh Saturday.
Patriot League Men's Soccer Weekly Awards
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
NEAL MELCHIONNI, LEHIGH Jr., F, Marmora, N.J.
Melchionni scored both of Lehigh's goals in a 2-0 win over Holy Cross Saturday. It was his first two-goal game and he has seven points in 2010, a new career high.
BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
MICHAEL ROBERTS, AMERICAN Jr., D, Rowlett, Texas
Roberts anchored the Eagles' defense in a 1-0 double-overtime loss to No. 17 Penn and a 0-0 double-overtime tie to Navy. He made a defensive save in the scoreless tie, sliding along the goal line to fend off a shot in the 78th minute and preserve the tie. About 14 minutes later in the first overtime, he cleared out a close-range shot to again keep Navy off the board.
BRINE Goalkeeper/Rookie of the Week
AARON DUPERE, NAVY Fr., GK, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
Dupere made 10 saves in a scoreless tie against American. It was Dupere's second straight shutout against a team that is in top four of the Patriot League standings. His 10 saves were the most by a Navy goalie since 2004, and the Mids' rookie has a shutout streak of 265 minutes. His 0.53 GAA ranks third in school history.
Honorable Mentions
ANDREW POWELL, BUCKNELL Jr., D, Charlton, Mass.
Powell scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Army, driving in a 48-yard strike at the start of the second half after Army had cleared a corner kick. It was Powell's third career goals, all game-winners.
STEVEN MILLER, COLGATE Jr., F, Ivyland, Pa.
Miller scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over Lafayette, helping Colgate win its fourth straight Patriot League contest. The Raiders, helped by Miller's three goals and seven points.
Patriot League Women's Soccer Weekly Awards
BRINE Offensive Player of the Week
JILLIAN KINTER, COLGATE So., F, Newburyport, Mass.
Kinter scored Colgate's only two goals in a 2-0 win over American. She is tied for the team-lead in points with 11. She has five goals and an assist.
BRINE Defensive Player of the Week
GENNA PEPE, LEHIGH Jr., D, Staten Island, N.Y.
Pepe scored the game-winning goal and had an assist in a 3-0 win over Holy Cross and played strong defense in a 1-0 loss to nationally-ranked Princeton. She has helped Lehigh score two shutouts in their last 10 games. In the other eight, Lehigh held its opponent to just one goal.
BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week
SANDITA McDERMOTT, BUCKNELL So., GK, Rhinebeck, N.Y.
McDermott made five saves in a 1-0 shutout of Navy, which entered the Patriot League contest with a League-best 33 goals. It was her second career shutout and first in Patriot League play.
BRINE Rookie of the Week
PAIGE DYREK, LEHIGH Fr., F, Monrovia, Calif.
Dyrek scored a goal in Lehigh's win over Holy Cross, redirecting a cross to give the Mountain Hawks a two-goal lead heading into the half. It was her second goal of the season.
Honorable Mentions
ALEX LOSTETTER, ARMY Sr., GK, Pittsburgh, Pa.
Lostetter made a season-high six saves, including two diving stops, in a scoreless double-overtime tie with Lafayette. She has not allowed a goal in her last four games in net, putting together a shutout streak of 406 minutes. She is one shutout away from tying for second all-time in Patriot League history with 29 shutouts.
LAUREN SMEDLEY, LAFAYETTE So., GK, Hamilton, N.J.
Smedley made four saves in a scoreless double-overtime tie against Army. It was her seventh shutout of the season and she now has 92 saves.
Patriot League Women's Volleyball Weekly Awards
Player of the Week
ARIANA MANKUS, ARMY So., OH, Lisle, Ill.
Mankus posted her 10th double-double of the year in the second of two Patriot League shutouts last week, recording 19 kills and 18 digs in a 3-0 win over Colgate. She finished with 29 kills and 24 digs last week. She had a .313 hitting percentage, two aces and five blocks. She leads the Black Knights with 3.48 kills per set, including an average of 3.52 in Patriot League play.
Rookie of the Week
JULIANA CRUM, AMERICAN Fr., OH, Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Crum led the Eagles to a 2-0 week after two Patriot League shutouts with 21 kills, four aces and 13 digs. She posted a .459 hitting percentage for the week.
Honorable Mentions
MAGDALENA TEKIEL, AMERICAN Sr., OH, Warsaw, Poland
Tekiel led American to two shutouts with double-digit kills to amass 23 for the week. She had a .478 hitting percentage for the week, including a .625 mark in the Eagles' win over Lehigh.
MEGAN LYNCH, HOLY CROSS So., OH, Mendham, N.J.
Lynch averaged 4.17 kills per set, totaling 50 last week as Holy Cross went 1-2. She also posted 40 digs and three blocks. She had double-digit kills in all three matches and has hit that mark in 21-of-26 matches this season.
ERIN FORTNER, NAVY Fr., S/OH, Villa Hills, Ky.
Fortner led Navy to its first Patriot League win of the season, posting 13 kills, 13 assists and eight digs in a 3-2 win over Lafayette. She also had nine kills, 18 assists and eight digs in a loss to Lehigh.
Patriot League Cross Country Weekly Awards
Male Runner of the Week
ANDREW HANKO, NAVY Sr., Montville, N.J.
Hanko finished first as Navy defeated Army 20-41 Saturday. This is Hanko's fifth straight weekly award for 2010 and ninth since 2009. He has placed in the top 15 in 11 of his last 12 races.
Female Runner of the Week
ELISE DeROO, COLGATE Jr., Newton, Conn.
DeRoo competed at the Penn State Invitational with several nationally ranked teams, including No. 1 Villanova, No. 7 Syracuse. DeRoo finished third (out of 304 runners) with a time of 20:34 in the 6K behind two All-Americans and ahead of two other All-Americans. This is her third weekly award in 2010 and fifth since 2009.
Male Rookie of the Week
C.J. ELWARD, NAVY Fr., Morton, Ill.
Elward placed 10th (25:37) to help Navy defeat Army Saturday. This is Elward's first weekly award.
Female Rookie of the Week
JESSICA KENDZOR, LEHIGH Fr., Wappingers Falls, N.Y.
Kendzor was Lehigh's top-placing freshman at the Penn State National Invite, finishing 90th out of 304 runners. Kendzor had a time of 22:29, just one second behind Lehigh's top finisher. This is Kendzor's second weekly award.
Honorable Mention
CRAIG BROWN, AMERICAN Jr., Manchester, N.H.
Brown placed first at the Leopard Invitational with a time of 25:52.2, helping American finish first. He has been American's top finisher in three of four races.
OCTAVIA RINEHARDT, AMERICAN Jr., Virginia Beach, Va.
Rinehardt finished first at the Leopard Invitational with a time of 21:00.4, a new personal record. Her finish helped American place second at the meet.
STEPHANIE FULMER, BUCKNELL Jr., Pottstown, Pa.
Fulmer led the Bison at Pre-Nationals, finishing 86th out of 274 runners with a time of 21:44 in the 6K. She has been the Bison's top finisher three times this season.
JESS PALACIO, NAVY Jr., Sun Valley, Nev.
Palacio placed first in a dual meet loss to Army, running the 6K in 22:30, 55 seconds ahead of the second-place finisher.
Patriot League Swimming and Diving Weekly Awards
Male Swimmer of the Week
MAC ANTHONY, NAVY Jr., Allentown, Pa.
Anthony posted a total of four first-place finishes in the 100- and 200-yard freestyle events as Navy opened its season with victories over George Mason and Loyola (Md.) in a tri-meet Oct. 9. His 45.88 clocking in the 100 free, which he won by one second, was 1.51 ticks shy of an NCAA B-cut time. His time of 1:39.97 in the 200 free was three seconds ahead of the field.
Female Swimmer of the Week
KELLIE DARMODY, NAVY So., Charlotte, N.C.
The sophomore from Charlotte, N.C. secured a total of eight first-place showing in three meets for the Mids against George Mason, Loyola (Md.) and James Madison. Her 58.16 clocking against the Patriots and Greyhounds in the 100-yard back was a career best. She added a second personal record in the 100-meter backstroke against James Madison. Her time of 1:04.87 was also second in Academy history.
Male Diver of the Week
OLAF OLSON, NAVY Sr., Bainbridge Island, Wash.
Olson finished first in the three-meter dive with a score of 374.77 to give Navy two sets of first-place points against George Mason and Loyola (Md.). He won the dive by a combined 69 points over the Patriots and Greyhounds. He also posted a second-place effort of 325.11 points in the one-meter event, coming in second to teammate Hayden Jones by 7.59 points.
Female Diver of the Week
COURTNEY VANDAMENT, NAVY Jr., Coppell, Texas
Vandament won the three-meter diving competition against George Mason and Loyola (Md.) with a total of 243.14 points, winning it by almost 59 points. She also took second in the one-meter event by a mere 1.49 points behind teammate Jordyn Nicholl.
Honorable Mentions
ALYSSA TRAN, ARMY So., Yorba Linda, Calif.
Tran finished with eight event titles in the first three meets of the season, capturing two against Rowan, three in the quad meet Oct. 8 and three more Oct. 15 versus Marist and Syracuse. After winning the 100-yard fly against Rowan in 1:00.04, she improved her time by nearly three full seconds six days later when she won the event again in 57.06.
MING ONG, AMERICAN So., Pymble, Australia
Ong captured three events during the three-session competition against Catholic and George Washington. He won the 100- and 200-yard breaststroke events while also taking first in the 500 free. Ong also finished second in both the 200 and 400 individual medleys.
BILL McCARTY, ARMY So., Milwaukee, Wis.
McCarty posted a total of four first-place finishes during the first meets of the season, including winning the 100-, 200- and 500-yard free events Oct. 15 against Marist and Syracuse. His times were 47.91, 1:44.56 and 4:49.25, respectively.