Sept. 6, 2011

Center Valley, Pa. -- The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Aug. 29-Sept. 5 in field hockey, men and women's soccer, volleyball and cross country Tuesday.

In field hockey, American showed why it is so highly thought of with shutout victories on Friday against Penn (7-0) and Sunday versus No. 7 Princeton (2-0). The win over the Tigers marked the team's third over a top-10 opponent since 2004, and first over a top-10 foe at Jacobs Field. The Eagles swept the Patriot League weekly awards following their impressive weekend, and also moved up to No. 8 in Tuesday's Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll.

In men's soccer, Patriot League teams combined for a very respectable 9-5-2 mark last week, with several clubs posting strong performances. Two of the 16 matches came against nationally-ranked opponents, with American played No. 18 Penn State tough before falling 2-0, while Holy Cross played to a scoreless draw at home against 22nd-ranked Dartmouth.

Two-time defending League champion Bucknell rebounded from the opening-night loss to Binghamton by posting a pair of victories, including a dramatic 2-1 overtime win over La Salle Sunday. Sophomore Mayowa Alli tallied the game-winner in extra time, capping off a three-goal, six-point week for last year's Patriot League Rookie of the Year. He was named BRINE Offensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career Tuesday.

Another team that rebounded from a season-opening loss was Army. The Black Knights recorded a pair of 1-0 wins on the week over Manhattan and VMI, with the victory against the Jaspers also coming in extra time. Freshman John Marinelli was recognized for his contributions to Army's shutout wins last week with his first BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week nod.

American, Colgate, Lafayette, Lehigh and Navy all posted victories during the week, while a pair of coaches collected milestone victories. American's 3-2 victory over George Washington in the first match of the D.C. College Cup gave Todd West the 100^th victory of his career, while Lafayette';s Dennis Bohn reached the same plateau with the Leopards' 1-0 triumph against Rider. Bohn's 100th win came 10 years to the day after he coached his first match on the Lafayette sidelines.

A pair of teams are in action Tuesday at 7 p.m., with Lafayette hitting the road against Cornell and Holy Cross closing out its home stand against Sacred Heart. Navy looks to create a winning streak Wednesday when it hosts Loyola (Md.) at 7 p.m. The usual busy weekend schedule picks up again with 14 matches scheduled for the Friday-Sunday period.

In women's soccer, Lafayette's quick start is one of the biggest stories coming out of last week. Thanks to cohesive team efforts and strong individual performances, the Leopards jumped out to their best start in 10 years with a 3-0 record. Two student-athletes were recognized as junior Lauren Smedley, who is approaching nearly 300 minutes of shutout soccer to start the year, was named BRINE Goalkeeper of the Week and freshman Jaclyn Giordano garnered the BRINE Rookie of the Week nod after posting a goal and an assist for three points during the period.

After splitting its first three matches with a 1-1-1 record, Army won both its games at its own Black Knight Classic at West Point with a 1-0 win over Seton Hall and a dominating 5-1 victory against Stetson. BRINE Offensive Player of the Week Kim An erupted in the two contests, as she scored her first seven points of the season after being held off the scoreboard in the season's first three matches.

Navy picked up two road victories last week. After dropping a 3-0 decision at No. 5 Maryland, the Mids headed south and earned a pair of one-goal wins over Charleston Southern and The Citadel. Sophomore Paloma Perez notched two goals during the stretch while senior defender Kate Herren and sophomore goalkeeper Alexes Lopez-Shaw anchored the defensive effort.

Bucknell, Colgate and Lehigh also picked up victories. The Bison notched their first win of the year with a 2-1 victory over UMBC, while Lehigh went 1-0-1 with a draw at Seton Hall and a win against Binghamton. Colgate went 1-2-0 with its victory coming against Stetson in the Black Knight Classic.

Action resumes Tuesday at 4 p.m. when Holy Cross looks to collect its first win of the season with a home contest against Maine. Three road matches dot Wednesday's schedule, all at 7 p.m., including American's challenge at Maryland, ranked No. 3 in last week's NSCAA/Continental Top 25 poll. Bucknell will take to the road at Binghamton while Colgate visits Cornell.

Army and Navy will host four-team events this weekend, highlighting a schedule that features 13 matches from Friday-Sunday. In addition to American's contest at Maryland, Colgate visits Boston College on Sunday. The Eagles were ranked No. 12 in last week's NSCAA poll.

In women's volleyball, the 2011 season is finally in full swing, as Bucknell, the last League team to get into regular-season play, opened its campaign at its own Bucknell Invitational last weekend after its scheduled appearance the week before at the William & Mary Tournament was washed out by Hurricane Irene.

After ending 2010 with seven victories, Lafayette jumped out to its first 3-0 start since 1988 after victories against Saint Francis (N.Y.), Saint Peter's and Rider. A 3-1 loss to Fairleigh Dickinson at the its own Lafayette College Tournament snapped the streak on Saturday, but the Leopards look to continue their strong play at home when they host Loyola (Md.) at 7 p.m. Wednesday. A pair of Leopard student-athletes garnered honorable mention laurels this week following the quick start.

Another team out to a fast beginning is Lehigh. The Mountain Hawks are 3-1 under first-year head coach Bob Bertucci, and senior Angelika Kopacz garnered the Molten Player of the Week honor after posting four straight double-double performances. Lehigh is on the road at NJIT at 7 p.m. Tuesday.

American posted a 2-2 week, including a 2-1 mark at the Cornell Invitational. The Eagles are featuring a relatively young lineup, and freshman Sara Rishell picked up the first weekly honor of her career when she was named the Molten Rookie of the Week after hitting nearly .300 with 55 kills. American visits Coppin State at 7 Wednesday night.

Navy continues to try to find its way after dropping three matches over the weekend, but the Mids were bolstered by the full-time return of junior Carolyn Ewert. Ewert tied a career high with 16 kills against George Mason on Saturday and led the Mids over the weekend with 39 kills and was named to the Patriot Invitational All-Tournament Team. She played in a pair of matches and three sets during Navy's opening weekend last week, which was her first game action since suffering a knee injury on Oct. 2, 2009. The Mids return to the court at 6 p.m. Tuesday at UMBC.

Another midweek match features Holy Cross, coming off a 2-2 week, including a five-set win over Providence, traveling to Hartford Wednesday for a 6 p.m. start.

The third weekend of non-League play starts Friday with all eight teams in action. Twenty-six matches are scheduled during the Friday-Sunday period, with everybody competing in round-robin tournament play.

In cross country, nine Patriot League student-athletes won individual titles over the opening weekend, including last season's Patriot League women's champion, Colgate's Elise DeRoo. But she was not among the weekly award winners as Navy swept the women's awards, and American and Lehigh split the men's awards. Navy senior Jess Palacio finished first at the UMES Lid-Lifter to be named the Patriot League Female Runner of the Week. Her teammate, freshman Shannon Cuthbert, placed second and was named the Female Rookie of the Week. On the men's side, American's Mark Allen won the individual title at the Mount St. Mary's 5K Duals to earn the Male Runner of the Week award. Lehigh's Ryan Mahalsky was named the Male Rookie of the Week.


Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ALEX McMACKIN, AMERICAN So., F, Blue Bell, Pa.
McMackin helped No. 10 American to a pair of victories over the weekend, as she scored twice including the game-winner in a 7-0 triumph over Penn on Friday and assisted on the game-winning goal with less than 10 minutes to play in a 2-0 win over No. 7 Princeton on Sunday. The two-goal effort gave McMackin her second-career multi-point game. She earns the Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week award for the first time this season and second in her career.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
TATUM DYER, AMERICAN Sr., D, Windham, N.H.
Dyer led an American defense that dominated in two victories over the weekend, as the Eagles allowed just five shots and two penalty corners combined in victories over Penn and No. 7 Princeton. The Eagles allowed Penn to take only one shot in a 7-0 shutout win on Friday, and held Princeton to four shots and just one on goal in a 2-0 shutout on Sunday. Dyer single-handedly broke up a pair of fast-break attempts for the Tigers in the second half. She also picked up an assist in each contest, with a helper on American's insurance goal in the final minutes of the victory against Princeton. Dyer receives the Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award for the first time this season and fourth in her career.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
STEPHANIE BURRY, AMERICAN So., GK, Louisville, Ky.
Burry recorded the first two victories and shutouts of her career over the weekend as American blanked Penn 7-0 on Friday and beat No. 7 Princeton 2-0 on Sunday. She directed an Eagle defense that allowed a total of five shots and two penalty corners in the two games. Burry did not face any shots on goal in the win over Penn, and made one save in the victory over the Tigers. She earns the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week award for the first time.

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
GRACE WILSON, AMERICAN Fr., M/D, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Wilson scored the first goal of her collegiate career and also picked up an assist in American's 7-0 win over Penn on Friday. She also played a strong game in the midfield as the No. 10 Eagles upended No. 7 Princeton 2-0 on Sunday. Wilson earns her first Patriot League Rookie of the Week award.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
EMILY HU, LEHIGH Fr., M, Skillman, N.J.
Hu had three defensive saves in two games for the Mountain Hawks, including one that kept the match with Georgetown tied as the game later went to overtime.

KELSEY MEAD, LAFAYETTE Fr., F, Manasquan, N.J.
Mead scored the first goal of the game in Lafayette's 3-2 overtime loss to Harvard on Sunday.

KAT MATCHETT, HOLY CROSS Fr., GK, Maple Glen, Pa.
Matchett stopped 14 shots in two games for the Crusaders, including nine against No. 14 Boston College on Sunday.


Patriot League Men's Soccer Weekly Awards

BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MAYOWA ALLI, BUCKNELL So., D, Lanham, Md.
Alli, Bucknell's starting left back and the Patriot League Rookie of the Year in 2010, showed off his offensive prowess with three goals for six points in a pair of matches last week. He scored a goal in Bucknell's 4-1 win over St. Francis (Pa.) Thursday, then accounted for both Bison tallies in their 2-1 overtime victory Sunday against La Salle. Alli's first marker came late in the first half to tie the game at 1-1-1, and he logged the game-winner just 48 seconds into extra time off a header following a corner kick. He has a point in all three contests this season, and his three goals on the year already matches his total from last year's rookie campaign.

BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
MIKE REESE, COLGATE Sr., D, Wallingford, Pa.
Reese continued to play a key role for Colgate's back line as the team went 1-0-1 on the week. He showed off his offensive abilities by scoring the golden goal in double overtime in the Raiders' 1-0 victory over Hartwick. Reese led a strong defensive effort Sunday as Colgate battled to a 1-1 tie with Big East opponent Villanova. The Raider defense allowed only five Wildcat shots on goal over the contest's 110 minutes.

BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
JOHN MARINELLI, ARMY Fr., GK, Minneapolis, Minn.
Marinelli earned the first two clean sheets of his career last week as he posted a pair of 1-0 victories over Manhattan and VMI to help push the Black Knights over .500. He stopped three shots in the overtime victory against the Jaspers and added another save in the win against the Keydets.

BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
PAT PLOURDE, BUCKNELL Fr., F, Bristol, Conn.
Plourde made his collegiate debut Thursday against Saint Francis (Pa.), logging 20 minutes and tallying the first goal of his Bucknell career. His tally came in the 44th minute as he knocked home a loose ball inside the 6-yard box to put the Bison up 3-0 in what wound up as their first victory of the year.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
ALASSANE KANE, AMERICAN Jr., F, Macon, Ga.
Kane had a hand in all three American goals in the Eagles' 3-2 victory over George Washington Thursday, the 100th win of head coach Todd West's career. He posted a career-high five points on a pair of goals and an assist for the second multi-goal match of his career. He now has nine goals in 22 matches at American.

BLAKE FINK, LAFAYETTE Jr., F, Westampton, N.J.
Fink's tally in the 105th minute lifted Lafayette to a 2-1 victory in its season-opener against Rider, and gave head coach Dennis Bohn his 100th career win.

AARON DUPERE, NAVY So., GK, Royal Palm Beach, Fla.
Dupere went 1-1-0 for the week, including picking up Navy's first victory of the season with a six-save performance in the Mids' 2-1 win over Saint Francis (N.Y.). With more than 1,500 minutes played, the sophomore is eligible for Navy's career records, and currently stands as the program's career leader with a 0.81 goals-against average.

JOE PULEO, LEHIGH Sr., F, Preston, Pa.
Puleo tallied Lehigh's only goal as the Mountain Hawks earned their first win of the season and the program's first over Yale 1-0 Sunday in Bethlehem, Pa.


Patriot League Women's Soccer Weekly Awards

BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KIM AN, ARMY So., F, Oak Ridge, N.J.
An exploded for seven points last week on three goals and an assist as Army moved to 3-1-1 overall with a pair of victories as its own Black Knights Classic. She earned Tournament MVP honors after tallying the game-winner in Friday's 1-0 victory over Seton Hall, then scored twice, including the game-winner, and added a helper as the Black Knights rolled to a 5-1 win over Stetson Sunday. Her five-point showing against Stetson tied her career high, and she jumped into a tie with Navy's Paloma Perez atop the League standings in goals and points.

BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
LEAH KULP, LEHIGH Sr., D, Titusville, N.J.
Kulp contributed at both ends of the field last week for Lehigh. She came up with a key defensive play against Seton Hall, clearing the ball off the goal line to help preserve the 1-1 tie in South Orange, N.J. Kulp tallied Lehigh's only goal as the defending Patriot League champions picked up a 1-0 win over visiting Binghamton Friday.

BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
LAUREN SMEDLEY, LAFAYETTE Jr., GK, Hamilton, N.J.
Smedley started 2011 right where she left off from 2010, when she was the Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Year and earned First-Team All-League laurels. She posted three consecutive shutouts and tallied 14 total saves as the Leopards posted their best start in 10 years with a 3-0 mark with victories against Howard, Monmouth and Saint Peter's. She now has 14 career shutouts and hasn't allowed a goal in more than 289 minutes of play.

BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JACLYN GIORDANO, LAFAYETTE Fr., F, Ridgefield, Conn.
Giordano played in all three of Lafayette's matches on the week. She picked up her first collegiate point against Monmouth when she assisted on Shannon Neschke's game-winner in the 71st minute, then added her first career marker, also a game-winner, in the Leopards' 1-0 victory at Saint Peter's. She tallied three points for the week, helping Lafayette jump out to a 3-0 start.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
PALOMA PEREZ, NAVY So., F, Mobile, Ala.
The sophomore continued her strong play in 2011 with a pair of goals and four points for the week. She logged Navy's only goal in the 85th minute of its 1-0 victory at Charleston Southern, and recorded the game-tying marker in the 72nd minute of the match against the Citadel. Navy went on to win that contest 2-1, capping off the Mids' 2-1 week.

MOLLY McGUIGAN, ARMY So., D, Boulder, Colo.
The sophomore once again anchored the Black Knights' defensive efforts for the week, which included an important play in the second half of Friday's match against Seton Hall. Minutes after Kim An put Army up 1-0, McGuigan made a defensive save off and cleared the ball off the goal line as the Pirates pressured for the equalizer.

ASHLEY BLANKS, LEHIGH Fr., GK, North Andover, Mass.
Blanks stopped nine of 10 shots on goal and posted a 1-0-1 week in her first action as Lehigh's starting keeper. She made eight saves to help preserve a 1-1 tie at Seton Hall, then made one stop in Lehigh's 1-0 victory at home against Binghamton. She's currently riding a shutout streak of more than 180 minutes.


Patriot League Women's Volleyball Weekly Awards

MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
ANGELIKA KOPACZ, LEHIGH Sr., OH, Rutherford, N.J.
Kopacz was incredibly consistent as Lehigh opened the season with a 3-1 week. She recorded double-doubles in kills and digs in each match, including 19 kills in the 3-2 loss to James Madison and 19 digs in the five-set win versus Robert Morris. She logged 16 kills on 35 attempts with five errors in the 3-0 sweep of Coastal Carolina to close out the week. She averaged 3.81 kills and 3.75 digs per set while hitting .207 for the Mountain Hawks, who won three of four under new head coach Bob Bertucci.

MOLTEN ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
SARA RISHELL, AMERICAN Fr., OH/MB, Hagerstown, Md.
Rishell earned a spot on the Cornell Invitational All-Tournament Team after leading the Eagles to a 2-1 showing in Ithaca, N.Y. She recorded at least 10 kills in each of the three matches while hitting .347 for the tournament with 20 digs. Including the match earlier in the week against No. 16 Oregon, Rishell hit .293 with 55 kills, including 11 against the Ducks. She recorded 15 total blocks over the four matches, with a week-high six against Cornell in the 3-1 victory against the Big Red.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
CAMISSA BEGHOU, LAFAYETTE Fr., OH, Winnetka, Ill.
One of three Leopards to appear in all 15 sets last week, Beghou started her collegiate career by leading the team with 2.40 kills per set. She set her early career best with 11 kills in the 3-0 victory over Rider, as Lafayette started the year 3-0 for the first time since 1988.

JULIANA CRUM, AMERICAN So., OH, Hacienda Heights, Calif.
Crum ;posted back-to-back double-doubles over the weekend in American's 2-1 showing at the Cornell Invitational. Her best showing of the week came against No. 16 Oregon, when she hit .350 with 10 kills and three errors.

SARAH FROHNAPFEL, LAFAYETTE Jr., S, Stafford, Va.
Frohnapfel played in 14 of the Leopards' 15 sets last week and logged the fifth double-double of her career with 45 assists and 10 digs in the season-opening 3-2 win at Saint Francis (N.Y.). She finished the week with 114 assists while averaging 8.14 per set along with nine service aces.

KAYLEE FIFER, COLGATE So., S, Lantana, Texas
Fifer was instrumental in Colgate's 3-0 sweep of Boston College at the Yale Invitational, as she narrowly missed a triple-double with eight kills, 28 assists and nine digs.

HANNAH GRACE STOKES, HOLY CROSS Fr., S, Atlanta, Ga.
Stokes averaged 7.40 assists per set during a 2-2 week for Holy Cross. She logged 43 assists, 14 digs and three blocks in the Crusaders' 3-2 win over Providence, which snapped an eight-match skid against the Friars.

KAT TAUSCHER, BUCKNELL Jr., S, Washington, D.C.
The junior setter more than doubled her previous career best with 54 assists as the Bison defeated Fordham in five sets over the weekend. Tauscher picked up 98 assists in three matches for an average of 8.91 per set.

Patriot League Cross Country Weekly Awards

MALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
MARK ALLEN, AMERICAN Jr., Miami, Fla.
Allen placed first at the Mount St. Mary's 5K Duals, helping American go 6-0 at the competition. That included wins over three regionally ranked teams. American, which is seventh, beat No. 5 Navy, No. 10 Maryland and No. 12 UMBC. Allen finished the 5K in 15:25.60 for his first collegiate win.

FEMALE RUNNER OF THE WEEK
JESS PALACIO, NAVY Sr., Sun Valley, Nev.
Palacio finished in first place at the UMES Lid-Lifter Invitational, leading Navy to first place out of eight teams. She completed the 5K in 17:41.49, just six seconds off the course record. Palacio has five career individual titles in cross country. Included in the seven teams that Navy defeated is West Virginia, which was ranked fifth in the Mid-Atlantic Region. Navy is ninth.

MALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
RYAN MAHALSKY, LEHIGH Fr., Hillsborough, N.J.
Mahalsky was the Mountain Hawks top finishing freshman at the Lehigh Invitational, placing ninth with a time of 19.04.20. Lehigh placed first in the event that featured eight schools.

FEMALE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
SHANNON CUTHBERT, NAVY Fr., Orange Park, Fla.
Cuthbert finished second in her first collegiate race, helping Navy place first among eight teams at the UMES Lid-Lifter Invitational. She completed the 5K in 18:09.18.

HONORABLE MENTIONS
OCTAVIA RINEHARDT, AMERICAN Sr., Virginia Beach, Va.
Rinehardt finished first at the Mount St. Mary's Duals, leading American to a 6-0 record with her time of 18:02.99 in the 5K.

CHELSEA PRAHL, ARMY Sr., Greenville, Mich.
Prahl placed first out of 53 runners at the Army Open, finishing the 5K in 18:13.30.

MIKE MITCHELL, ARMY Sr., Ridgefield Park, N.J.
Mitchell placed first out of 87 runners at the Army Open, completing the 5K in a time of 15:34.60.

ELISE DeROO, COLGATE Sr., Newton, Conn.
DeRoo placed first at the Harry Lang Invitational, completing the 4,200-meter race in a time of 15:48. She helped the Raiders place second.

CHRIS JOHNSON, COLGATE Jr., Murry Hill, N.J.
Johnson took the top spot at the Harry Lang Invitational, placing first with a time of 20:41. Colgate finished second.

DAVE BROWN, BUCKNELL Sr., Westborough, Mass.
Brown placed first at the Bucknell Open, leading the Bison with a time of 14:51 on the 3-mile course.

JIMMY MILLER, LEHIGH So., Ijamsville, Md.
Miller finished first at the Lehigh Invitational with a time of 18:45.80 to help the Mountain Hawks win the team title.