Len, Jones honored for outstanding play with CACC weekly awards
Midfielder takes Player of the Week while freshman forward earns rookie honors
The Lady Deacons' tremendous start to the 2009 season continued Monday with junior midfielder Erika Len and freshman forward Stacey Jones earning CACC weekly honors, marking the first time the program has received both awards in the same week.
"It’s obviously a great honor to have two of our girls receive weekly awards from the CACC and it couldn’t have come for two better players," head coach Rocco Constantino said. "Erika and Stacey give everything they have in every practice. They are always the top two girls when we condition and go after each drill looking for perfection. It’s no mistake they were our two best players this opening weekend."
Len took home CACC Player of the Week honors for the season's opening week notching three goals and three assists through the team's first two games, including the game-winner in the club's 8-0 victory over Washington Adventist University.
"Erika keeps maturing as a player and has been a real leader for us," Constantino said. "She is in tremendous shape and truly loves the game. In our two games this weekend she controlled the middle of the field completely. She scored when she had the opportunity, but mostly was looking to set her teammates up for goals. That’s the mark of a great center midfielder."
Equally impressive was the Australian freshman Jones, who took home CACC Rookie of the Week honors. Totaling five goals and an assist over the weekend's games, Jones became the first freshman to record a hat-trick since the program became a Division II squad, notching three goals against Lincoln University.
"Stacey is really the first legitimate striker we have had since I have been here," Constantino said. "She’s the first forward we can really count on to be a team player and produce in the clutch for us. What was impressive about her five goals was that she only played about half of each game this weekend and spent much of that time trying to set her teammates up for goals."
The Lady Deacons return to action on September 9 with an away match against Queens College. The opening whistle is set for 4:00 PM.