Oct. 28, 2013
Patriot League Weekly Awards - 10.28.13 (PDF) 
CENTER VALLEY, Pa. -- The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for Oct. 21-27 in women's soccer, men's soccer, field hockey, volleyball and swimming and diving.
Patriot League Women's Soccer Weekly Awards
BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
JOEY MOLACEK, ARMY Sr., M, Saugus, Calif.
Molacek gave new life to Army's season, scoring three of her team's five goals in two critical victories that lifted the Black Knights back into the Patriot League Tournament following a one-year hiatus. She tallied a pair in Wednesday's come-from-behind win at Holy Cross, tying the game at 1-1 in the 81st minute and burying the game-winner with just five seconds remaining in double overtime for a 2-1 triumph. Once again Army found itself trailing 1-0 on the road on Saturday, this time at Lafayette. She shot home a rebound to tie the game in the 24th minute before Kimberly An scored twice later to give Army a 3-1 win and a postseason berth. Molacek has a team-leading nine points in eight League games.
BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
EMMA CLARK, BOSTON UNIVERSITY Sr., M, York, Maine
Clark started both Terrier wins last week at defensive midfield and helped her teammates pitch a pair of shutouts to clinch the No. 2 seed to the program's first Patriot League Tournament next week. BU allowed just five shots total and two on goal in Wednesday's 3-0 blanking at Colgate, and then held American to two shots and none on net in Sunday's 1-0 overtime victory in Washington. Clark also picked up an assist in Wednesday's game when Kylie Strom headed in her corner kick in the second minute to open the scoring against the Raiders.
BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
JORDAN CASSALIA, ARMY Fr., GK, Omaha, Neb.
Cassalia played all 199:55 in goal for the Black Knights in two wins at Holy Cross and Lafayette, the second of which clinched Army a berth to the Patriot League Tournament. The rookie from Omaha, Neb., stopped four shots, including one try in the second overtime, in Army's come-from-behind 2-1 triumph over the Crusaders on Wednesday. She added five saves in Saturday's 3-1 win over the Leopards, including a big stop late in the second half after the Black Knights had taken a two-goal advantage. Cassalia has started all 17 Army games this season and has a 0.91 goals-against average in League play.
BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
JESSICA RATNER, BUCKNELL Fr., GK, Langhorne, Pa.
What a week for Ratner, who played 135 minutes, picked up two victories and her first career clean sheet in helping Bucknell get back to the Patriot League Tournament for the first time since 2010. On Saturday she earned her first career start and made seven saves in the Bison's postseason-clinching 2-0 win over visiting Holy Cross. It was her second appearance of the week, as she entered Wednesday's game at Lafayette at the start of the second half and, while not having to make a save, was credited with the victory after the Bison netted the game-winner in the 62nd minute. It's Ratner's first career weekly award.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
COURTNEY NELSON, BUCKNELL Jr., D, Phoenix, Ariz.
Played all 180 minutes at right back and helped the Bison post two shutout victories in qualifying for the Patriot League Tournament. Netted an assist on Chelsey Garkowski's insurance tally late in the second half of Saturday's 2-0 win over Holy Cross.
ASHLYNN SOELLNER, NAVY Sr., F, Hollidaysburg, Pa.
Scored the game's first two goals in Navy's 3-0 win over Loyola Maryland on Sunday. The Mids captured the No. 1 seed to the Patriot League Tournament and will host the semifinal and championship rounds.
ELIZABETH HOERNER, NAVY Sr., GK, Lititz, Pa.
Posted a 2-0 record in net with five saves and one shutout as Navy improved to 8-0-0 in League play and wrapped up the League Tournament's No. 1 seed and hosting duties for the final two rounds.
Patriot League Men's Soccer Weekly Awards
BRINE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
NICK WILLIAMS, ARMY Fr., F, South Orange, N.J.
Williams tallied two of the Black Knights' three goals and both game-winners, including perhaps the program's most significant goal of the last 17 years in the 58th minute of Saturday's 1-0 victory over Lehigh. That win clinched Army its first Patriot League Tournament berth since 1996, snapping the League's longest postseason drought. Williams scored the game-winner on Tuesday at Central Connecticut off the bench in the eventual 2-0 win over the Blue Devils.
BRINE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
CRISTOBAL SOTO, AMERICAN Sr., D, Santiago, Chile
After sitting out Tuesday's scoreless draw with West Virginia in non-League action, Soto was back into the Eagle lineup in his usual center back position and helped American pick up a point with a 0-0 tie against Lafayette on Saturday in Washington. American's defense, anchored by Soto, yielded just four shots on goal and kept the Leopards to the outside by clearing out eight corners. Saturday's scoreless draw was American's seventh shutout of the season.
BRINE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
GAVIN SNYDER, NAVY Sr., GK, Severna Park, Md.
The senior keeper continues to play stellar in goal for the Mids. He improved his record on the season to 9-0-0 with a pair of victories, including Saturday's 1-0 overtime win at Holy Cross that clinched Navy its second trip to the Patriot League Tournament in the last three seasons. It was his sixth clean sheet of the season and fifth against a League opponent. On Tuesday Snyder was in goal and made five saves in a 3-1 triumph over NJIT. He remains the top goalkeeper in the country with a 0.22 goals-against average and a .943 save percentage.
BRINE ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
ALEX EVANS, NAVY Fr., F, Lansdale, Pa.
Evans came off the bench to score the golden goal 5:33 into overtime to lift Navy to a 1-0 victory at Holy Cross on Saturday. Not only did it extend the Mids' win streak to nine, the second-longest active streak in the nation and the program's longest since 1966, but it also clinched them a coveted berth in the Patriot League Tournament and kept them in a first-place tie with rival Army. Evans also picked up an assist on Jamie Dubyoski's insurance goal in Tuesday's 3-1 victory over NJIT.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
BILLY KNUTSEN, AMERICAN Sr., GK, San Francisco, Calif.
Accounted for four saves as the Eagles gained a point in Saturday's 0-0 draw with Lafayette.
WINSTON BOLDT, ARMY Jr., GK, St. Louis, Mo.
Tallied six saves total and two shutouts for the Black Knights, including a five-save performance against Lehigh in Saturday's 1-0 victory.
DOMINIQUE BADJI, BOSTON UNIVERSITY Jr., M, Dakar, Senegal
Scored the game-winner in BU's 2-0 win over Loyola Maryland on Saturday to keep the Terriers' hopes alive for a berth to the Patriot League Tournament.
TANNER SCHILLING, COLGATE Jr., M, Coralville, Iowa
His 71st-minute strike led the Raiders to a 2-1 win at Bucknell on Saturday while lifting them into a three-way tie for fifth in the standings at seven points.
NATHAN McDONALD, LAFAYETTE Sr., GK, Bay Village, Ohio
Made six stops for his seventh shutout of the season and 18th of his career in Saturday's scoreless draw at American.
JAMIE DUBYOSKI, NAVY Sr., F, Catonsville, Md.
Posted a goal and an assist for three points in Navy's 3-1 win over NJIT on Tuesday. Also drew the foul that set up Joseph Greenspan's successful penalty kick try.
Patriot League Field Hockey Weekly Awards
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
KELSEY MEAD, LAFAYETTE Jr., M, Manasquan, N.J.
Mead helped Lafayette get into the Patriot League Tournament with a goal and two assists in a 4-3 win over Colgate on Saturday. Mead's goal tied the score early in the second half, and she assisted on the next two tallies as the Leopards built a 4-2 lead. Mead also added an assist in a 3-2 loss to No. 17 Temple on Sunday. She has four goals and five assists to tie for the team lead with 13 points this season. Mead is named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week for the first time.
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
GRACE WILSON, AMERICAN Jr., D, Ann Arbor, Mich.
Wilson played two more strong games on both ends of the field to claim her sixth Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week award of the season, tying Lafayette's Brittany Blass (2012) for the single-season record. Wilson claims the honor for the third straight time and fifth in the past six weeks as she led an American defense that posted its fourth shutout in Patriot League play with a 1-0 win over Bucknell on Saturday, which clinched the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the Eagles. American limited the Bison to two shots in the second half, neither of which was on goal, as the Eagles broke through for the game's only score in the 58th minute. The Eagles also held the Bison to one penalty corner in the game. Wilson scored her team-leading eighth goal in a 2-1 overtime loss to William & Mary on Sunday when she tied the score in the 45th minute.
GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK
ASHLEY DALISERA, AMERICAN Sr., GK, Millersville, Md.
Dalisera registered her fourth shutout of the year by making two saves in a 1-0 win over Bucknell on Saturday which gave the Eagles the top seed in the Patriot League Tournament for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons. Both saves came in the first half and kept the game scoreless as American notched the only goal in the 58th minute. She entered in the second half against William & Mary and made four saves before the Eagles fell 2-1 in overtime. Dalisera is named Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week for the third time this season and seventh in her career.
ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
HESTER VAN DER LAAN, BOSTON UNIVERSITY Fr., M, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Van der Laan had a hand in all three goals for the Terriers in a 3-1 win over California on Friday. She assisted on a pair of corner goals before converting a penalty stroke in the 18th minute. All of her points came in a four-minute span as BU pulled away early. Van der Laan is named Patriot League Rookie of the Week for the first time, and becomes the third Terrier to claim the award this season.
HONORABLE MENTION
BRITTANY BLASS, LAFAYETTE Jr., D, Mountain Top, Pa.
Blass had a pair of goals, including the game-winner, in Lafayette's 4-3 win over Colgate on Saturday.
ISABEL TERWINDT, AMERICAN So., M, Alpen aan den Rijn, The Netherlands
Terwindt had the only goal of the game in the 58th minute to lead American past Bucknell 1-0 on Saturday.
KATY CRONIN, HOLY CROSS So., F, Franklin, Mass.
Cronin had a goal and two assists in a 4-1 win over Lehigh on Saturday, and also tallied an assist in a 3-1 loss to Brown on Wednesday.
MICHELLE McNEIL, HOLY CROSS So., M, Canton, Mass.
McNeil had a pair of goals in Holy Cross' 4-1 win over Lehigh on Saturday.
SOFI LAURITO, BOSTON UNIVERSITY So., M/F, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Laurito had a pair of goals over the weekend, scoring in a 3-1 win over California on Friday and 3-1 loss to Duke on Saturday.
Patriot League Volleyball Weekly Awards
MOLTEN PLAYER OF THE WEEK
AMY MATULA, LEHIGH So., S, Memphis, Tenn.
Matula was instrumental for the Mountain Hawks in two Patriot League victories, including a huge performance in Saturday's five-set win at home over Army. The sophomore spurred the Lehigh offense with a career-high 54 assists in the victory, her team's first over the Black Knights since Nov. 8, 2003. When Army's defense adjusted to Lehigh's hitters, Matula became active in the striking game with 10 kills on 16 swings and no errors. She also contributed nine digs in the match, narrowly missing out on a triple-double. Matula was also a key player for Lehigh in Friday's straight-sets win over Holy Cross with 26 assists. She averaged 10 assists per frame last week while also contributing 12 kills on 20 attempts with no errors to hit .600.
MOLTEN ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
OLIVIA FAIRFIELD, ARMY Fr., MB, Iowa City, Iowa
Fairfield collects her fourth straight Rookie of the Week nod after averaging 2.00 kills and hitting .220 during a 1-1 League weekend for the Black Knights. She notched 12 kills on 25 swings and only four miscues (.320) with six block assists in Friday's key 3-2 win at Bucknell. On Saturday she notched another eight kills on 25 tries with three digs and two blocks (one solo) in the 3-2 loss at Lehigh. Fairfield, who now has five rookie awards on the season, is one shy of tying American's Rebecca Heath, who captured a League-record five consecutive citations in 2008.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
ALLISON CAPPELLINO, AMERICAN So., OH/L, Penfield, N.Y.
Finished one dig shy of a double-double and added 10 kills on 16 tries with no errors (.625) as American swept Loyola Maryland on Friday.
NICOLE PERRI, ARMY So., OH, Cortlandt Manor, N.Y.
Logged season bests of 23 kills and a .367 hitting percentage in Saturday's 3-2 loss at Lehigh. Finished the week averaging 3.80 kills and 0.90 blocks per set while striking .309.
KAREN CAMPBELL, BUCKNELL So., MB, Chesapeake, Va.
Hit .364 for the Bison while averaging 1.92 kills and 1.00 blocks per set. Tallied eight kills and hit .357 in Saturday's four-set victory over Holy Cross.
DIANE SEELY, COLGATE Jr., MB, Menlo Park, Calif.
Had an incredible offensive week hitting .571 (17-1-28) with eight blocks (two solo) in a pair of League sweeps over Bucknell and Lafayette. Averaged 2.83 kills per frame over six sets.
ERIN FORTNER, NAVY Sr., Opp., Villa Hills, Ky.
Posted back-to-back double-doubles last week, with 18 kills and 11 digs against Towson and 14 strikes and 12 digs in a four-set victory over League foe Lafayette. Finished the week averaging 4.57 kills and 3.29 digs while hitting .235.
Patriot League Swimming and Diving Weekly Awards
MALE SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
MIKE NICHOLSON, BUCKNELL Sr., Chappaqua, N.Y.
Nicholson collected two of his team's four first-place finishes in Saturday's 199-99 loss to visiting Pittsburgh. The senior won the 400 IM by 2.76 seconds (3:59.57) and won gold in the 200 fly by 39-hundredths of a second (1:50.13). His 200 fly time was the closest any Patriot Leaguer came to reaching an NCAA B cut time last week.
FEMALE SWIMMER OF THE WEEK
EMMA LEVENDOSKI, BUCKNELL So., Mandeville, La.
The 2013 Rookie of the Patriot League Championship Meet has shown no signs of a sophomore slump so far this fall. As the only Bison to win an event, she captured gold in both the 100 and 200 backs in Saturday's 209-90 loss to Pittsburgh. She took first in the 100 back by 1.18 seconds (57.03), and finished 2.03 seconds ahead of the field in the 200 back with a time of 2:02.02. She was also part of two top-three relay efforts for the Bison.
MALE DIVER OF THE WEEK
WIL MAYO, NAVY Sr., The Woodlands, Texas
Mayo was impressive against some of the best competition the Mids will see all season. Against reigning six-time ACC champion Virginia, Mayo took fourth off both boards with 287.40 in the three-meter competition and 271.90 in the one-meter in a 212-88 loss to the Cavaliers. He was the top placing Mid from the one-meter board and the second-highest finisher on the team from the three-meter.
FEMALE DIVER OF THE WEEK
KATIE HETHERINGTON, BUCKNELL Jr., Houston, Texas
Hetherington posted solid scores as Bucknell's top diver in Saturday's meet against Pittsburgh. Making her season debut, the junior took third from the three-meter board with 260.48 points and added a fourth-place showing in the one-meter competition with 241.65 points.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
ARIANA BULLARD, ARMY Fr., Carmel, Ind.
Swept the 100 and 200 fly events in Army's 188-112 loss at Connecticut. Won the 100 fly in 55.90 and touched first in the 200 fly in 2:05.72.
JOSH URNEZIS, ARMY Jr., Kihei, Hawaii
Won the one-meter dive with 264.52 points and added silver in the three-meter (240.75) in Army's 192-107 defeat at Connecticut.
TYLER WENZEL, BUCKNELL So., Telford, Pa.
Posted two fourth-place showings against Pittsburgh, notching 282.08 points from the three-meter board and 252.45 in the one-meter competition.
KAITLYN RUFFING, LEHIGH Fr., Murrysville, Pa.
Won four individual races and was part of three victorious relay efforts as Lehigh opened its season 3-0, its best start in over a decade. Touched both times she swam the 50 and 100 frees, posting a weekend-best 23.87 in the 50 and 52.55 in the 100.
CAITLIN CRONIN, LOYOLA MARYLAND Sr., Kingston, Mass.
Took gold in the 100 free (52.56) and added runner-up finishes in the 50 free (24.43) and 200 IM (2:11.63) as the Greyhounds won a quad meet on Saturday over Lafayette, Drexel and Seton Hall.