Oct. 3, 2011

Center Valley, Pa. -- The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Sept. 26-Oct. 2 in field hockey, men and women's soccer, volleyball and cross country Monday.

American, Bucknell and Lafayette have claimed the top three seeds in the Patriot League Field Hockey Tournament in each of the last three seasons, and the trio took the first step in hitting that mark again with shutout victories in their League openers over the weekend. Eight-time defending champion American beat Lehigh 5-0, while Lafayette blanked Colgate by the same score and Bucknell shut out Holy Cross 7-0. Each team also added non-League victories on Sunday. Bucknell and Lafayette had student-athletes honored as Patriot League weekly award winners after the strong weekend, while Lehigh sophomore Sierra Segear took the Goalkeeper of the Week honor following three quality efforts.

The first weekend of League play in women's soccer was highlighted by a thrilling late comeback on the road by Navy. After American took a 2-1 lead at the 86:20 mark on a Jasmine Mohandesi strike, Morgan Dankanich tied the contest with 1:19 to go in regulation and Ashlynn Soellner logged the Golden Goal game-winner in the final minute of double overtime to lift the Mids to their seventh win in their last nine outings. Army, Colgate and Lafayette were also victors during the first weekend of League matchups. The Leopards dispatched of rival and defending League champion Lehigh 2-1, while the Black Knights posted a 2-0 win over Holy Cross and the Raiders defeated Bucknell 3-0. Lehigh is the only team to have a non-League contest scheduled this week, as the Mountain Hawks will host Columbia Monday at 7 p.m. League play resumes with four matches Friday night and another four Sunday.

In men's soccer, American took over sole possession of first place after the second week of League play after a thrilling 2-1 victory at Bucknell Saturday afternoon. Lafayette and Navy were also victors in League contests over the weekend, with the Leopards taking a 2-0 win at Holy Cross and the Mids capturing the annual rivalry battle against Army 1-0 in Annapolis, Md. Those victories lifted Lafayette and Navy into a three-way tie for second place in the standings at four points with Lehigh, which settled for a scoreless draw versus Colgate in Bethlehem. Five teams will step out of League play this week, and four matches are slated for Tuesday's schedule, all beginning at 7 p.m. American looks to continue its strong play at Georgetown, Bucknell hits the road to visit UMBC, Lafayette returns home to welcome Villanova and Colgate hosts in-state rival Albany. Army will be the lone League team in action Wednesday when the Black Knights host Hartford at 7 p.m.

In women's volleyball, American and Army matched wits in the teams' first regular-season meeting of the season, and it was the Eagles who rallied from 2-1 down to take a 3-2 victory at West Point in Friday's showdown. American completed a perfect 3-0 week and rattled off its sixth straight victory with a 3-1 win at Holy Cross Saturday to move into sole possession of first place in the League standings at 4-0. Despite Friday's loss, Army kept pace with the Eagles Saturday thanks to a 3-0 win over rival Navy to capture the program's 10th consecutive Star Game victory. The Black Knights find themselves tied for second at 3-1 with Colgate, which won a pair at home over the weekend against Lehigh and Lafayette. Lehigh and Holy Cross are tied for fourth at 2-2, with the Mountain Hawks holding the early advantage thanks to a head-to-head win. Non-League play picks up again Wednesday with Holy Cross at Bryant, Colgate visiting Syracuse and Army hosting Sacred Heart, all at 7 p.m. League play resumes Thursday with Navy entertaining American. The first Lafayette-Lehigh battle of the season is set for Friday, while two other League contests are scheduled for Saturday.

In cross country, all eight schools were at the 38th Annual Paul Short Run, providing a nice preview for the Patriot League Championships set for Oct. 29 at Lehigh. On the men's side, Evans Kosgei, the individual runner-up the last two seasons at the Patriot League Championships, established himself as the favorite for the 2011 title with his 10th-place finish Friday in the men's Gold Race. On the women's side, a battle is brewing with the two-time defending League champion, Colgate's Elise DeRoo, finishing two spots and one second behind Navy's Jess Palacio Friday in the women's Gold Race.


Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
RACHEL MISKO, BUCKNELL So., F, Morristown, N.J.
Misko played a huge role in each of Bucknell's victories over the weekend. She scored a goal and had a pair of assists as the Bison opened Patriot League play with a 7-0 win over Holy Cross on Saturday, then tallied the game-winning goal on her first career penalty stroke attempt to lift the Bison past Villanova 2-1 on Sunday. It was her second game-winning goal of the year, and Misko now leads the Bison with three goals this season. The 2010 Patriot League Rookie of the Year, Misko receives the Offensive Player of the Week award for the first time.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
EMILY VALEO, LAFAYETTE Jr. M/D, Norristown, Pa.
Valeo excelled both defensively and on offense in a dominant weekend for the Leopards. She tallied a goal and an assist in each of Lafayette's games, a 5-0 win at Colgate on Saturday and a 7-0 victory over Quinnipiac on Sunday. Valeo led a Lafayette defense that did not surrender a shot at Colgate and gave up only five total shots in the shutout of Quinnipiac. Valeo earns her first Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award after teammate Carolyn Cabrey won the honor in each of the past two weeks.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
SIERRA SEGEAR, LEHIGH So., GK, Wilkes Barre, Pa.
Segear stood up well against a flurry of shots in Lehigh's three games last week. She stopped 46 of 59 shots in the contests for a .780 save percentage. Segear earned a victory on Wednesday while stopping 13 shots in a 3-2 win over Siena. She made 11 saves in a 5-0 loss to American on Saturday, then came through with a career-high 22 saves in Sunday's 6-1 loss to Rider where she was part of a defense that totaled 28 saves overall, the most in the NCAA since 1998. Segear has four straight double-digit save outings and eight in 10 games this season, and leads the Patriot League in both saves (129) and save percentage (.774). She earns the Goalkeeper of the Week award for the second time this season.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KELSEY MEAD, LAFAYETTE Fr., F, Manasquan, N.J.
Mead had an amazing weekend for the Leopards with four goals and two assists combined in the wins over Colgate and Quinnipiac. She scored a pair of goals in her first Patriot League contest as Lafayette beat Colgate 5-0 on Saturday, then came back with two goals and two assists in Lafayette's 7-0 win over Quinnipiac on Sunday. The six points were the most for a Patriot League player in a single game this year, and the two-goal'performances matched the season high for a Patriot Leaguer. Mead shares the Patriot League lead in goals (6) and points (14) this season. She receives the Patriot League Rookie of the Week award for the first time.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
MELISSA CASALE, AMERICAN Sr., F, Lawrenceville, N.J.
Casale had a pair of goals as American opened Patriot League play with a 5-0 win over Lehigh on Saturday.

TATUM DYER, AMERICAN Sr., D, Windham, N.H.
Dyer had an assist in American's 5-0 win over Lehigh Saturday and scored in a 3-2 triumph over Temple on Sunday while leading a defense that gave up just seven total shots for the week.

TAYLER SIEGRIST, BUCKNELL Jr., D, Madison, N.J.
Siegrist had a goal and an assist in Bucknell's 7-0 win over Holy Cross on Saturday, and was part of a defense that allowed just one goal and seven shots in two games over the weekend.

Patriot League Men's Soccer Weekly Awards

BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JACK SCOTT, AMERICAN Sr., D, York, United Kingdom
Scott, who had started every match this season heading into the weekend, instead came off the bench in Saturday's rematch of the last two Patriot League title games and it paid off. The senior from the United Kingdom scored in the 82nd minute from about 16 yards out to break a 1-1 tie and lift American to the 2-1 victory over the Bison in Lewisburg. Scott garners his second career weekly award and first since being named Rookie of the Week in 2008.

BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ZACH DAVIS, NAVY So., D, Colorado Springs, Colo.
Davis anchored Navy's defense that held Army, which entered Saturday's Star Game averaging over 16 shots per outing, to only four attempts, including none in the first 45 minutes of play. Only one of the Black Knights' attempts was on goal. Davis played all 90 minutes of the match, helping Navy shut out its first two League opponents for the first time since joining the Patriot League in 1991. It's his first career weekly award.

BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
GRAHAM HEYDT, LAFAYETTE Sr., GK, Northbrook, Ill.
Heydt collected his second straight clean sheet of the season and fourth overall this season in Lafayette's 2-0 victory Saturday at Holy Cross. Heydt, who extended his shutout streak to 218:11, made a pair of saves in the first half with the Leopards leading 1-0 and logged two more after halftime to preserve the victory. It's his first League weekly award of the season and the second of his career.

BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JULIAN PLUMMER, LAFAYETTE Fr., D, Kendall Park, N.J.
Plummer, who garners his second Rookie of the Week nod of the season, was strong on both ends of the ball for Lafayette in its 2-0 win at Holy Cross. He found the back of the net for his first career marker in the 10th minute and played center back for the Leopards' defense that posted its second straight shutout, with both coming against League opponents.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
TOMMY UTTARO, HOLY CROSS So., M, Staten Island, N.Y.
Uttaro scored a goal and an assist as Holy Cross captured its first win of the season, a 2-1 double-overtime victory against Northeastern Tuesday evening. The Huskies were 5-1-0 heading into the match.

CAMERON OMSBERG, LEHIGH Jr., M, Belgrade, Maine
Omsberg spearheaded his team's defensive performance as the Mountain Hawks settled for a scoreless draw against preseason League favorite Colgate. Lehigh's League-leading team goals-against average continues to plummet, having reached 0.20 through Saturday's match.

Patriot League Women's Soccer Weekly Awards

BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ASHLYNN SOELLNER, NAVY So., F, Hollidaysburg, Pa.
Soellner is developing a knack for scoring at the most opportune times, logging her second golden goal of the season and third of her young career in Navy's 3-2 double-overtime win at American. She scored in the 110th minute of the match, controlling a feed from senior Kate Herren to bury the game-winner. Soellner had missed the previous four matches because of injury. Six of her eight career goals are game-winners, placing her in an eighth-place tie in Navy history. It is the second Offensive Player of the Week nod for Soellner and her first of the year.

BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KLARA JENKINS, COLGATE So., M, New York, N.Y.
Jenkins contributed on both sides of the ball, tallying her team's second marker in what wound up a 3-0 Raider victory against visiting Bucknell Saturday in the League opener for both clubs. She helped the Colgate defense allow six Bison shots, including four on goal. Her best defensive play came in the 61st minute when made a defensive save at the goal line on a Bucknell corner kick that was bending toward the net.

BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
MONICA LEE, ARMY Sr., GK, Crystal Beach, Fla.
Lee earns her second straight Goalkeeper of the Week nod and third this season after making six saves in Army's 2-0 victory Sunday against visiting Holy Cross. She turned aside three shots in the match's early going and picked up another stop before halftime. Lee made an acrobatic diving save in the second half to preserve Army's two-goal advantage before stopping one last shot to preserve the clean sheet. Lee now has 16 career shutouts.

BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
MORGAN DANKANICH, NAVY Fr., F, Glenmoore, Pa.
Dankanich logged the first goal of her career in thrilling fashion, scoring the game-tying marker in the 89th minute of Saturday's eventual 3-2 victory for Navy over the Eagles in Washington, D.C. Her goal came two minutes after American had taken a 2-1 lead and it forced the match into overtime, which set up the opportunity for Soellner's game-winner with 40 seconds left. Dankanich garners the first weekly award of her career.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
GINA MILONE, LAFAYETTE Sr., D, North Massapequa, N.Y.
Milone scored the game-winner in the 62nd minute as Lafayette defeated rival Lehigh 2-1 Saturday. It marked the Leopards' first victory over a League opponent since a 2-1 triumph against Army Oct. 27, 2006, snapping an 0-24-4 stretch.

KATE HERREN, NAVY Sr., D, Auburn, Wash.
Herren recorded an assist on all three Navy goals in Saturday's 3-2 double-overtime win at American. Two of her assists came off free kicks, and her three helpers ties the Navy individual record.

MOLLY McGUIGAN, ARMY So., D, Boulder, Colo.
McGuigan anchored another solid defensive effort for Army in its 2-0 victory against Holy Cross Sunday. She played a key role in the Black Knights' third straight clean sheet and ninth overall on the year.

ASHLEY WALSH, COLGATE Jr., GK, Baldwinsville, N.Y.
While Colgate's offense continues to hum, Walsh put up another solid effort for her team Saturday as she collected three saves in the Raiders' 3-0 League victory against Bucknell. She's started all 12 of her team's matches and is 8-4-0 on the year.


Patriot League Women's Volleyball Weekly Awards

MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
SARA RISHELL, AMERICAN Fr., OH/MB, Hagerstown, Md.
Rishell contributed mightily to American's 3-0 week and extending the team's win streak to six. The Eagles picked up a pair of League victories on the road, including Friday's come-from-behind five-set victory at Army. In the deciding fifth set, Rishell tallied a pair of kills and logged two key solo blocks to help lift American to the 15-11 win. The next day at Holy Cross, she logged 20 kills with only one error to hit .679 in a 3-1 win over the Crusaders. Rishell hit .452 for the week, totaling 46 kills and 11 blocks. She averaged 3.29 kills per set.

MOLTEN ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
KELLY McCADDIN, AMERICAN Fr., MB, West Caldwell, N.J.
McCaddin was strong in all three of American's wins last week but picked up her play against League teams. Her efforts were instrumental in the Eagles 3-2 win Friday at Army, as she picked up two kills and a pair of block assists as American won the fifth frame 15-11. She scored 10 kills with only one error and hit .450 with three total blocks in the match. In Saturday's four-set win at Holy Cross, McCaddin logged another 14 kills, again with just one error, and picked up four block assists. She hit .437 for the week, averaged 2.36 kills per set and totaled seven blocks.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
MARY VACCARO, ARMY Fr., S, Orinda, Calif.
Vaccaro averaged better than 11 assists per set and logged at least 50 for the sixth time this season when she recorded 56 against American.

ARIANA MANKUS, ARMY Jr., OH, Lisle, Ill.
Mankus averaged 3.88 kills and 4.25 digs per set as the Black Knights went 1-1 on the weekend. She led all players with 23 kills and 20 digs in the five-set loss Friday to American.

MARI FAINES, COLGATE Fr., MB, Chicago, Ill.
Faines had the best weekend of her young career, logging seven blocks with four solos. She had six stops in Colgate's sweep of visiting Lehigh Friday, forcing the Mountain Hawks to a negative hitting percentage.

KAYLEE FIFER, COLGATE So., S, Lantana, Texas
Fifer was remarkably consistent with 28 assists against Lehigh and 29 more versus Lafayette as Colgate swept both in League play over the weekend in Hamilton, N.Y. She also hit .556 in the wins, recording 11 kills on 18 swings with only one error.

KYLEIGH McAHREN, BUCKNELL Sr., RSH, Napa, Calif.
McAhren hit .393 with a team-high 14 kills and added six digs in Bucknell's sweep Friday over Lafayette.

MEGAN LYNCH, HOLY CROSS Jr., OH, Mendham, N.J.
Lynch averaged 4.29 kills and 3.71 digs per set in the Crusaders' 1-1 weekend, which included a sweep of Navy.

Patriot League Cross Country Weekly Awards

MALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
EVANS KOSGEI, LEHIGH Sr., Moiben, Kenya
Kosgei was the Patriot League's top finisher in the Gold Race at the Paul Short Run, placing 10th out of 402 runners with a time of 24:25. The Mountain Hawks finished 20th, helping Lehigh move up three spots in the Mid-Atlantic Regional poll to eighth. This is his first Patriot League weekly award.

FEMALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
JESS PALACIO, NAVY Sr., Sun Valley, Nev.
Palacio placed 30th out of 396 runners in the Gold Race at the Paul Short Run, edging out Colgate's Elise DeRoo as the League's top finisher. Palacio finished in 21:13 in a muddy race that included six ranked teams, including No. 1 Georgetown and No. 3 Providence. This is Palacio's third award this season.

MALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JOHN DUGAN, BUCKNELL Fr., Ramsey, N.J.
Dugan was the Patriot League's top freshmen finisher on the men's side in the Gold Race at the Paul Short Run, placing 231st with a time of 26:37. This is the second straight race that Dugan has led the Bison freshman, and he's been in Bucknell's top five three times. This is his first Patriot League award.

FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
SAVANNA PLOMBON, LEHIGH Fr., Frederick, Md.
Plombon wins her second straight Rookie of the Week award, finishing as the League's top freshman in the Gold Race at the Paul Short Run Friday. She placed 84th with a time of 22:02. She was less than a minute away from the Patriot League's top finisher in the race.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
JOSH OLSON, AMERICAN Sr., Thomaston, Conn.
Olson finished 59th in a time of 25:16 in the Gold Race of the Paul Short Run, helping American place 18th.

OCTAVIA RINEHARDT, AMERICAN Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.
Rinehardt was the individual runner-up in the Brown Race of the Paul Short Run, finishing in 21:42.

ELISE DeROO, COLGATE Sr., Newtown, Conn.
DeRoo finished 32nd in the Gold Race at the Paul Short Run, just two spots and one second behind the Patriot League's top finisher, Navy's Jess Palacio. DeRoo finished the 6K race in 21:14.

CHRIS JOHNSON, COLGATE Jr., Murry Hill, N.J.
Johnson won the individual title in the Brown Race at the Paul Short Run, finishing first out of 382 runners with a time of 25:19.

KATHERINE PIERCE, LEHIGH Sr., Alfred, Maine
Pierce placed 66th out of 396 runners in the Gold Race of the Paul Short Run, finishing in 21:44.

CODY ROME, NAVY Sr., Eagle, Idaho.
Rome placed 26th in the Gold Race of the Paul Short Run, finishing in 24:51 and leading his team to an 11th-place finish.