BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Olivia McKenna, UConn, Sr., M
McKenna powered UConn to a pair of victories on the offensive end, scoring two goals on four shots, all on goal, totaling four points on the weekend. Against Providence, McKenna scored with no time remaining in regulation to erase a 1-0 deficit and force overtime, finishing with two shots, both on goal. She followed with a similar performance on Sunday against then-No.3 UMass, scoring UConn’s opening goal in the third quarter to give the Huskies a 1-0 lead. McKenna then delivered the game-winning goal in the shootout, helping the Huskies secure the 4-3 victory. McKenna’s two regulation goals and game-winning shootout goal helped UConn improve to 9-1 overall and 3-0 in BIG EAST play.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Natalie McKenna, UConn, Sr., GK
McKenna anchored UConn to a pair of hard-fought shootout victories over Providence and UMass, totaling eight saves on the weekend. Against Providence, she made four saves on five shots on goal for an .800 save percentage, including two in the opening two minutes before helping the Huskies force a shootout and secure a 2-1 (3-1 SO) victory. On Sunday against UMass, McKenna made three saves in regulation posting a .750 save percentage and recorded a crucial stop in overtime before making four saves in the shootout, helping the Huskies secure the 4-3 shootout win. McKenna helped lift UConn to a 4-0 record in shootouts on the year.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Clarisa Iudicello, Liberty, Fr., M/F
Iudicello had another strong weekend in wins over Old Dominion and Richmond, leading the team with one goal, two assists, and four points. In Friday’s 2-0 triumph over the Monarchs, Iudicello tallied an assist on Luna Prieri’s goal in the 14th minute, which proved to be the game winner. In Sunday’s 2-0 road victory over the Spiders, Iudicello tallied one goal, one assist and three points. She scored the first goal of the day, her team-leading eighth of the year, in the 14th minute from in front of the cage on a feed from Julieta Tornati. In the 20th minute, Iudicello set up Pia Iapichino’s goal, sending a pass into the circle that Iapichino one-timed past the Richmond goalkeeper. Iudicello currently leads the team in goals (8) and points (18) on the season. She is tied for third in the BIG EAST and 28th nationally in goals per game (0.73).
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Diane Saint Martin, Liberty, So., GK
Saint Martin had a strong two-game weekend in goal for the No. 17 Lady Flames, posting a perfect 2-0 record, a 0.00 goals-against average, five saves and one shutout in victories over Old Dominion and Richmond. In Friday’s 2-0 home triumph over ODU, Saint Martin made one save in 59:40 of action while keeping the Monarchs off the scoreboard. Saint Martin made four saves in Sunday’s 2-0 road win over the Spiders, including three in the second half and back-to-back stops in the 39th minute to preserve Liberty’s 2-0 lead. Liberty recorded back-to-back shutouts on the weekend and now has four on the season. Sunday’s clean sheet marked the 11th shutout of Saint Martin’s career.
Josefina Tomasi, Liberty, Jr., F
Tomasi contributed an assist and one defensive save in No. 17 Liberty’s pair of weekend wins. In Friday’s 2-0 triumph over the Monarchs in Lynchburg, Tomasi tallied an assist and five shots, including four on goal. Her assist came on the Lady Flames’ second goal of the day at the 22:30 mark, when, following an ODU turnover, she found Avery Pollock in front of the cage. In Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Richmond, Tomasi made her team-leading fourth defensive save of the year on a Spiders’ 51st-minute penalty corner. Tomasi and the Liberty defense fended off seven Richmond penalty corners and two from ODU on Friday without surrendering a corner goal or a goal from the field of play across 120 minutes of action. Tomasi currently leads the BIG EAST and is tied for fourth nationally in total defensive saves (4).
Carly van Benten, Providence, Sr., F
Van Benten scored in each of Providence’s two games over the weekend, totaling two goals and four points on three shots, all on goal. Against No. 4 UConn on Friday, Van Benten gave the Friars a 1-0 lead at the 13:51 mark of the first quarter, deflecting a shot from Ariana Ftorek across the goal line. On Sunday against UMass Lowell, Van Benten delivered the game-winning goal 2:40 into overtime to give Providence a 1-0 victory. The senior has now scored in five consecutive games, including three game-winning goals, and has eight goals on the season. Van Benten currently leads the BIG EAST in game-winning goals (5) and tied for third in goals on the year.
Colleen Finnan, Villanova, Sr., F
Finnan tallied two points on one goal to help Villanova earn its second consecutive BIG EAST victory, a 3-1 win over Georgetown on Friday. The senior opened the scoring in the first quarter, taking a feed from Adie Minnella and blasting a shot into the cage to give the Wildcats an early 1-0 lead. The goal sparked the Villanova offense, which added two more goals to secure the victory. Finnan’s goal marked her fifth of the season, ranking third on Villanova and tied for 10th in the BIG EAST. With the performance, Finnan moved to 12 points on the season, ranking third on the Wildcats and tied for 13th in the conference.
Maddi Sears, Villanova, Sr., GK
Sears had a strong weekend in goal as Villanova split its two games, totaling 12 saves and a .800 save percentage. On Friday, Sears played a crucial role in the Wildcats’ 3-1 win over Georgetown, playing all 60 minutes and making five saves on six shots on goal for an .833 save percentage. The performance earned her seventh win of the season. On Sunday, Sears kept Villanova within striking distance with seven saves, helping the Wildcats remain competitive throughout the contest. Her 12 saves on the weekend moved her season total to 48, while her .814 season save percentage remains the best mark in the BIG EAST.
Previous Winners
Offensive Player of the Week
Sept. 1 – Gemma Lysaght, Villanova
Sept. 8 – Lily Procaccianti, Providence
Sept. 15 – Sofia Marciano, Old Dominion
Sept. 22 – Ellie Goldstein, UConn
Sept. 29 – Lucy Zich, UConn
Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 1 – Maddi Sears, Villanova
Sept. 8 – Johanna Mähner, Providence
Sept. 15 – Serena Langendoen, Old Dominion
Sept. 22 – Natalie McKenna, UConn
Sept. 29 – Serena Langendoen, Old Dominion
Freshman of the Week
Sept. 1 – Lucy Zich, UConn
Sept. 8 – Lucy Zich, UConn
Sept. 15 – Clarisa Iudicello, Liberty
Sept. 22 – Lucy Zich, UConn
Sept. 29 – Lucy Zich, UConn