Women’s Soccer Players of the Week (for the week ending October 24, 2010)

Division I

Offensive Player of the Week

Sade Ayinde – University of Maryland
Junior, Forward, North Bellmore, N.Y. 

Ayinde scored both goals in the final 13 minutes as the Terps came from behind to defeat the two-time defending national champions, UNC, 2-1, at the Tar Heels’ Fetzer Field. Maryland’s win came against a North Carolina team that had won six straight games and entered the match leading the Atlantic Coast Conference.  The win was the Terps’ third over a top-10 opponent this season, but their first-ever over UNC. Prior to Sunday’s win, Maryland was 0-30-1 all-time vs. the Tar Heels.

Defensive Player of the Week

Jeanette Dolmetsch – Long Island University
Sophomore, Defender, Northville, Mich.

Dolmetsch anchored the Blackbirds’ defense in a pair of shutouts over the weekend for the team’s 12th and 13th of the year, clinching a conference playoff bid and setting a new program record for season-high shutouts in the process. Dolmetsch also scored her first career goal, notching the gamewinner in the second half of a 1-0 win versus Monmouth. The defender helped Long Island outshoot Mount St. Mary’s, 15-2, without allowing a single shot on goal in the 1-0 victory.

Division II

Defensive Player of the Week

Julia Hansson – University of Bridgeport
Freshman, Goalkeeper, Tocksfors, Sweden

Hansson allowed only one goal in two Purple Knights wins last week, including a 5-0 shutout of Georgian Court.  Hansson also made eight saves in a key 2-1 East Coast Conference win over Dowling.  She now has compiled five shutouts this season.

Division III New England

Offensive Player of the Week

Jennifer Killion – Elms College
Junior, Forward, Cambridge, Mass.

Killion led the Blazers offensively to a 2-0 week.  In victories over Bay Path (8-1) and non-conference opponent Mount Holyoke (3-1), Killion tallied four goals and one assist for nine points.

Defensive Player of the Week

Erika Moran – Western Connecticut State University
Sophomore, Defender, Shelton, Conn.

Moran had a solid week in the defensive third for Western Connecticut as the Colonials posted three shutouts to raise their current streak to ten matches.  Moran helped hold Kean, Western New England, and Keene State College scoreless in 280 total minutes of action. 

Division III Upstate / Metro

Offensive Player of the Week

Kelly Bergin – SUNY Geneseo
Junior, Forward, Middletown, N.Y.

 Bergin scored four goals in two games to help the Blue Knights clinch the No. 5 seed in the State University of New York Athletic Conference tournament.  Bergin netted a hat trick in a 3-2 win over Buffalo State on Friday.  On Saturday, Bergin added an insurance goal in the 3-0 victory against Fredonia.

Defensive Player of the Week

Ali Higgins – Vassar College
Sophomore, Goalkeeper, Dallas, Texas

Higgins recorded two 1-0 shutouts against Skidmore and Union last weekend to help the Brewers clinch second place and make the Liberty League playoffs for the first time in program history. Higgins made eight saves against Union and five saves against Skidmore.

Division III South

Offensive Player of the Week

Stephanie Eyler – Stevenson University
Junior, Forward, Thurmont, Md.

Eyler fired home her first hat trick of the season and added an assist on Stevenson’s other goal as the Mustangs clinched the 2010 regular season crown and top seed in the Colonial Athletic Conference playoffs with a 4-1 win at Marymount Saturday.

Defensive Player of the Week

Ralene Zajac – La Roche College
Junior, Goalkeeper, Freedom, Pa.

Zajac made 21 saves in a pair of conference victories, helping the Redhawks cement a No. 3 seed and first round home field advantage in the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference playoffs.  She turned away 11 University of Pittsburgh-Greensburg shots in a 1-0 shutout win, and then added ten more saves to take down Medaille, 3-1.