Oct. 17, 2011

Center Valley, Pa. -- The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Oct. 10-16 in field hockey, men's soccer, women's soccer, volleyball, cross country and swimming and diving Monday.

Three Patriot League field hockey teams netted huge wins at home over the weekend. Lafayette and American each qualified for the 2011 Patriot League Tournament with victories over Holy Cross and Colgate, respectively, and Lehigh moved closer to sealing a berth with a 1-0 win over Bucknell. Lafayette's Deanna DiCroce ties the Patriot League record with her sixth-career Offensive Player of the Week award while teammate Brittany Blass was named Rookie of the Week. American's Tatum Dyer claimed her second straight and sixth-career Defensive Player of the Week honor, while Lehigh's Sierra Segear was named the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week after making 15 saves in the shutout of Bucknell.

In men's soccer, it needed overtime but American came out as the victor in a thrilling 1-0 contest against Lafayette Saturday to take a commanding five-point lead in the League standings with three weeks left in the regular season. Victories by Colgate and Lehigh lifted them into a three-way tie for second place with the Leopards, while Bucknell's win over Holy Cross moved them into fifth place with six points, just one point shy of the three-way logjam ahead of it.

In women's soccer, Lafayette and American picked up victories over the weekend while Colgate, Navy, Army and Lehigh settled for ties as the march to the Patriot League Tournament continues. The Leopards now have a four-point lead over Colgate and Army, who remain tied for second place, with Lehigh lurking just one point back in fourth. Bids to the League Tournament could be sewn up beginning as early as Friday with four matches. Four more contests are slated for Sunday.

In women's volleyball, the League schedule hit the halfway mark, with the top four teams separating themselves as the race for League Tournament bids heats up. Army and Lehigh each won both of their League contests over the weekend, with the Black Knights tying American atop the standings at 6-1. Colgate, which split the weekend, and the Mountain Hawks are tied for third at 5-2. Lehigh's victory over American Saturday ended the Eagles' 27-match win streak in regular-season League play, dating back to Oct. 16, 2009.

In cross country, seven of the eight Patriot League squads competed over of the weekend, prepping for the upcoming Patriot League Championships on Saturday, Oct. 29, at Lehigh University.With the seven competing schools all off this upcoming weekend, this past weekend served as their final tune-up for the 2011 Championships, where the Navy men and Colgate women enter as the returning champs. Navy was at Army over the weekend for their annual Star Meet, and for the third straight season, the Mids walked away with a win on the men's side, 19-37. The Navy women also won 25-31, avenging a narrow 26-29 defeat last season. From the Star Meet arose two of the four weekly award winners, as Navy's Cody Rome won his fourth Male Runner of the Week award this season and Navy's Shannon Cuthbert won her second Female Rookie of the Week award. American's Octavia Rinehardt won her second Female Runner of the Week award this season, while Bucknell's John Dugan won his second Male Rookie of the Week award.

In swimming and diving, Army earned a split of its Friday meet with visiting Marist, with the men capturing the victory. American competed in an unscored tri-meet against D.C. rivals Catholic and George Washington, while the Navy women fell at James Madison. The schedule picks up again Friday, with Navy going to UMBC, Lehigh visiting West Chester and Holy Cross beginning two days at the New England Catholic Invitational. Army and Bucknell will be in action Saturday.

Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
DEANNA DiCROCE, LAFAYETTE Jr., F, Doylestown, Pa.
DiCroce earns her second straight Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award, and the junior ties Lafayette's Megan Monahan (1999-02) for the most honors in Patriot League history with six. She had a pair of big efforts in Lafayette's two wins over the weekend, notching a goal and two assists in a 5-0 shutout of Holy Cross on Saturday and tallying an assist and the game-winning goal in a 2-1 triumph over Rutgers on Sunday. DiCroce's recent hot streak has her tied for the Patriot League lead with nine goals and topping the charts with 24 points. Lafayette is 7-0 when DiCroce scores a goal this season.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TATUM DYER, AMERICAN Sr., D, Windham, N.H.
Dyer went her first 73 career games without scoring a goal, but the senior defender from Windham, N.H., continued to find that scoring touch over the weekend with three goals and two assists in two games for the Eagles. She tallied two goals and two assists for a career-high six points in an 8-1 win over Colgate on Saturday as the Eagles set a school record with seven goals in the second half. Dyer added another score on Sunday as American fell to No. 3 Maryland 5-1 after holding the Terrapins to just one goal in the first half. She was a perfect 3-for-3 on penalty strokes over the weekend. Dyer also anchored the American defense which allowed just five shots to Colgate and kept the Eagles in it through the first half against Maryland. Dyer has six goals and 15 points in American's last four games after breaking her career goal drought. She leads the Eagles and is third in the Patriot League with 18 points this season. Dyer receives her third Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award this season and sixth of her career, winning the honor for the second week in a row.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
SIERRA SEGEAR, LEHIGH So., GK, Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Segear almost single-handedly lifted Lehigh to a key Patriot League victory by making 15 saves in a 1-0 shutout of Bucknell on Satruday afternoon. She held on for the shutout despite facing 10 penalty corners and 12 shots on goal in the second half alone. Lehigh earned its first shutout in League play since 2005 and Segear got the first of her career. She was nearly as outstanding in a 4-3 win over Penn on Wednesday with 12 saves in the contest. Overall Segear stopped 27 of the 30 shots she faced in the two games and leads the Patriot League with a .789 save percentage for the season. Segear claims the Goalkeeper of the Week award for the third time this season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
BRITTANY BLASS, LAFAYETTE Fr., D, Mountain Top, Pa.
Blass had an excellent weekend to help Lafayette to victories over both Holy Cross and Rutgers. She tallied a pair of goals, including the game-winner, as the Leopards blanked the Crusaders 5-0 on Saturday. She also helped pace a defense that held Holy Cross without a shot in the contest. Blass added an assist in Lafayette's 2-1 win over Rutgers. She earns the Rookie of the Week honor for the first time in her career.

HONORABLE MENTION
ABBY TILTON, LEHIGH Sr., F, Franklin, N.J.
Tilton had a goal in each of Lehigh's games last week, with the game-winner as the Mountain Hawks beat Bucknell 1-0 in Patriot League action.

MALLORY SMITH, BUCKNELL Sr., F, Schnecksville, Pa.
Smith had a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in Bucknell's 3-2 overtime triumph at Towson on Sunday.

MARIE MIGNOGNA, LEHIGH So., D, Voorhees, N.J.
Mignogna came up with two crucial defensive saves to help Lehigh preserve the shutout in a 1-0 win over Bucknell on Saturday.


Patriot League Men's Soccer Weekly Awards

BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ALASSANE KANE, AMERICAN Jr., F, Macon, Georgia
Kane scored the game-winning goal for the first-place Eagles in the second minute of overtime to lift them to a 1-0 victory over visiting Lafayette in an important League matchup. It is the second straight year Kane has found the back of the net in extra time against the Leopards. This year's goal came from about 15 yards out following a Seth Goldman feed. American now has a five-point lead in the League standings over Colgate, Lehigh and the Leopards with three weeks to go in League play.

BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MAYOWA ALLI, BUCKNELL So., D, Lanham, Md.
Alli continued his strong all-around play for the Bison, scoring his team's first goal 52 seconds into the contest in Saturday's 3-0 victory over visiting Holy Cross. The win lifted Bucknell to 2-2-0 in the League and back into the postseason picture. Alli played strong defense the rest of the way, as the Bison allowed just seven shots for the Crusaders with only one on goal. Alli is tied for the League lead with seven goals. It is his third weekly award of the season, as he has claimed two Offensive awards earlier this year.

BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
CIARAN NUGENT, LEHIGH So., GK, Canton, Mass.
Nugent allowed just one goal in 200 minutes of action, going 1-0-1 during the period including Saturday's 2-0 shutout of Navy. The sophomore made five saves in Saturday's contest, including four in the second half with the Mids pressuring for the game-tying tally. Earlier in the week against Penn, an NCAA Tournament team last season, he stopped four shots to enable Lehigh to rally for a 1-1 draw. Nugent leads the League with a 0.30 goals-against average and a .925 save percentage. It is his third Goalkeeper of the Week nod of the season.

BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JIMMY McLAUGHLIN, COLGATE Fr., M, Malvern, Pa.
McLaughlin picked up the assist on Shane Conlin's overtime game-winner in the Raiders' 3-2 victory over Army Saturday. McLaughlin dribbled down the left side and cut to the middle, where he beat his defender and slid a pass to Conlin who converted to secure three crucial points for Colgate.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
STEVEN MILLER, COLGATE Sr., F, Ivyland, Pa.
Miller scored a pair of goals in Colgate's 3-2 overtime victory against Army Saturday in Hamilton, N.Y. His two tallies, which both came in regulation, tie him for the League lead with seven on the season.

LUKE JOYNER, BUCKNELL Sr., M, Dallas, Texas
Joyner had another strong showing against a League team, scoring once and adding an assist in Bucknell's 3-0 win Saturday against Holy Cross. He picked up the dish on the Bison's second goal and scored the third for insurance.

JOSH KOEPPE, ARMY Jr., M, Plano, Texas
Koeppe scored a goal and assisted on David Rouleau's game-tying goal in the 86th minute of Saturday's 3-2 overtime loss at Colgate. Koeppe leads the Black Knights with four goals and 10 points.

DANIEL ODENWELDER, LEHIGH Sr., M, Pen Argyl, Pa.
Odenwelder tallied the game-winner and was part of the Mountain Hawks' stout defense in their 2-0 victory Saturday over Navy in a key Patriot League contest.


Patriot League Women's Soccer Weekly Awards

BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ALLISON STONE, LAFAYETTE Jr., M, Rockville, Md.
Stone picked a great time to score her first career marker, as she one-timed a loose ball out of a scrum in the 29th minute and it stood up as Lafayette took a 1-0 victory from Holy Cross during a windy match Saturday in Easton, Pa. The Leopards moved to 4-0-0 in the League to strengthen their hold on first place, and ended the regular season with a program-best 6-0-0 mark at home.

BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KATE HERREN, NAVY Sr., D, Auburn, Wash.
Herren was crucial on both sides of the ball for Navy in its 1-1 tie with Colgate on Saturday. She made a diving play to clear away a pass intended for a wide-open Colgate attacker that would've led to a close scoring chance in the 27th minute with the match still scoreless. In the 84th minute with the Mids down 1-0, her corner kick into the box found Ashlynn Soellner, who tied the match with her header. Herren is tied for the League lead with six assists.

BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
KLARE LAZOR, AMERICAN So., GK, Exton, Pa.
Lazor made six saves, including three in the second half, as American stayed alive for a Patriot League Tournament bid with a 1-0 victory over visiting Bucknell Sunday. Her biggest stop of the game came in the 78th minute, when she denied Bucknell's Evelyn Nicinski on an in-close opportunity as the Bison were pressing for the equalizer.

BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
NICOLE PAVIGLIONITE, AMERICAN Fr., F/M, Branford, Conn.
Paviglionite registered her first career game-winning goal when she found the back of the net on a header in the 69th minute to give American a 1-0 victory against visiting Bucknell Sunday in a critical League contest. It was Paviglionite's second goal of the season, and she has started each of the last eight contests. With the win, the Eagles jumped back into the picture for a League Tournament berth, as they trail fourth-place Lehigh by four points with three matches to go.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
HANNAH COCHRAN, LEHIGH Sr., D, Staten Island, N.Y.
Cochran came up with a defensive save less than two minutes into the second half, stopping Errin Helbling's shot near the goal line to preserve the scoreless tie with visiting Army Saturday night. Lehigh gained momentum after that play, outshooting the Black Knights 16-2 the rest of the way in a match that ended in a scoreless draw.

MADISON OLIVER, ARMY Fr., D, Flower Mound, Texas
Oliver, who has been strong all year on the Army back line during her rookie campaign, denied a potential shot on goal late in the second overtime to preserve the Black Knights' 0-0 tie at Lehigh Saturday night.

LAUREN SMEDLEY, LAFAYETTE, Jr., GK, Hamilton, N.J.
Smedley made five saves to preserve the Leopards' 1-0 win over Holy Cross, keeping them in first place. It was her 19th career clean sheet, tying her for 10th in League history with Lehigh's Erin Iwaskiewicz.

JILLIAN KINTER, COLGATE Jr., F, Newburyport, Mass.
Kinter scored her seventh goal of the season in Colgate's 1-1 draw at Navy Saturday afternoon. She leads the team with 19 points (7g, 5a), while the Raiders are now unbeaten in their last seven (5-0-2).


Patriot League Women's Volleyball Weekly Awards

MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TAYLOR POOLE, LEHIGH Jr., MB, Keller, Texas
Poole posted an amazing weekend for the Mountain Hawks, who posted a pair of sweeps against League foes, including an impressive 3-0 win over first-place American, handing the Eagles their first regular-season League loss in two years. Poole averaged 2.50 kills per set and hit .538 for the weekend, with 15 kills on 26 swings with only one error. She collected nine kills against Navy and added six in the match versus American. She contributed a pair of aces against the Eagles and totaled five blocks for the week.

MOLTEN ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
MARY VACCARO, ARMY Fr., S, Orinda, Calif.
Vaccaro ties the League mark with her sixth Rookie of the Week award. She eclipsed the 50-assist mark with 56 in Saturday's come-from-behind 3-2 win at Colgate. That win, coupled with American's loss to Lehigh, lifted the Black Knights into a tie for first with the Eagles. She averaged 10.50 assists per set across the weekend, which included a sweep at Bucknell Friday. Vaccaro notched the 13th double-double of her season with 13 digs against Colgate and averaged 2.25 per set.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
MARGAUX JARKA, ARMY So., OH, Rolling Prairie, Ind.
Jarka recorded back-to-back double-digit kill performances over the weekend with 10 at Bucknell and a career-high 18 at Colgate during a 2-0 showing for the Black Knights. She hit .319 for the weekend and collected 11 digs in the five-set win over the Raiders for her third double-double of the season.

KAYLEE DOUGHERTY, COLGATE Sr., MB, Landisville, Pa.
Dougherty was strong during the Raiders' 2-1 week, including a five-set heartbreaker versus Army. She tied a season high with 15 kills in a four-set win in non-League action against Cornell, then recorded 12 kills in the 3-1 triumph against Holy Cross. She was also big defensively, coming up with nine blocks and averaging 0.69 per set on the week. She hit .378 across 13 frames.

CAMISSA BEGHOU, LAFAYETTE Fr., RSH, Winnetka, Ill.
Beghou averaged 2.43 kills per set and came up with 12 kills and three digs in the Leopards' 3-1 win Saturday over Navy. She hit .611 in that match and .484 for the week.

MORGAN MIENTUS, BUCKNELL So., OH, Chicago, Ill.
Mientus led all Bison with 15 kills and hit .387 in Saturday's sweep of visiting Holy Cross. She was two digs shy of a double-double and picked up a pair of blocks.


Patriot League Cross Country Weekly Awards

Patriot League Weekly Awards
MALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
CODY ROME, NAVY Sr., Eagle, Idaho
Rome finished first at the Star Meet, leading the Mids to a victory over the Black Knights with his time of 24:21.4 in the 8K race. It was his first individual title of the season and it marked the fifth time he was Navy's top runner. It also was his fastest 8K time of the year. He has won four weekly awards this season.

FEMALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
OCTAVIA RINEHARDT, AMERICAN Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.
Rinehardt claimed her second weekly award of the season, finishing second at the Leopard Invitational with a time of 20:48.2. Her time was only 0.8 seconds better than the next best 6K time in the Patriot League last week, narrowly giving her the weekly award. She helped the Eagles finish third overall.

MALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JOHN DUGAN, BUCKNELL Fr., Ramsey, N.J.
Dugan placed 56th at the Princeton Invitational with a time of 25:51 in the 8K. He was Bucknell's top freshman and third overall finisher. He helped the Bison place eighth out of 14 teams. Dugan has won two Rookie of the Week awards, and this is Bucknell's third straight rookie award.

FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
SHANNON CUTHBERT, NAVY Fr., Orange Park, Fla.
Cuthbert finished sixth out of 24 runners at the Star Meet against Army, finishing the 6K in 21:59.7. She was Navy's third-best finisher, helping the Mids defeat the Black Knights. This is Cuthbert's second Rookie of the Week award of the season and Navy's fourth.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
EVANS KOSGEI, LEHIGH Sr., Moiben, Kenya
Kosgei finished second overall and was the top scoring runner at the Penn State National Invite, completing the 5.2-mile course in 26:18. He helped Lehigh finish fourth out of 21 teams.

JESS PALACIO, NAVY Sr., Sun Valley, Nev.
Palacio finished first at the Star Meet, helping the Mids win with her time of 20:49 in the 6K. It was her fourth individual title of the season.


Patriot League Swimming and Diving Weekly Awards

MALE SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
CARTER KELLY, ARMY Jr., Edina, Minn.
Kelly collected a pair of individual wins and contributed to a victorious 200-yard medley relay effort as Army moved to 3-0 on the young season with a 165.5-128.5 victory over visiting Marist Friday. Kelly, who garners the first Patriot League weekly award of his career, won the 100 breast in 1:00.46 and added the win in the 200 breast in 2:11.41. His 200 medley relay foursome won with a clocking of 1:37.54.

FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
KELLIE DARMODY, NAVY Jr., Charlotte, N.C.
Darmody won two individual events Friday in Navy's meet at James Madison. She clocked a 57.68 to win the 100 back by 1.87 seconds, and captured the win in the 200 back by 2.38 seconds with a time of 2:04.49. She is undefeated in both events so far this season. She added a third-place showing in the 100 fly (58.59) and swam the fastest third leg of the 400 free relay, an event in which the Mids finished second.

MALE DIVER OF THE WEEK
MATT JOINER, ARMY Sr., Lawrenceville, Ga.
Joiner did his part to help Army to its victory over Marist Friday. He took first in the 1-meter dive with 253.20 points before adding a third-place finish from the 3-meter board with 242.80 points.

FEMALE DIVER OF THE WEEK
MELISSA PARKER, AMERICAN Fr., Livermore, Calif.
Parker posted a strong all-around performance during American's unscored tri-meet Friday and Saturday against Catholic and George Washington. The freshman from Livermore, Calif., scored 240.75 points from the 1-meter board and posted a 241.65 in the 3-meter event. Both are the fourth-best scores in those events in American history.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
MING ONG, AMERICAN Jr., Pymble, Australia
Ong won the 100 breast and 200 breast events and added a pair of second-place showings during the Eagles' two-day tri-meet with Catholic and George Washington. He swam in six events, finishing in the top three in five.