Patriot League Honours: Lafayette Take Two, and a Scottish Freshman Wins Rookie of the Week for the Fifth Time
Lafayette are 13-2, unbeaten in the Patriot League, and they’ve already clinched a championship berth. Weeks like this explain why: the Leopards took two of the conference’s five weekly honours, and the numbers behind them are slightly absurd.
Forward and Defender: Malinowski and van Gool
Stella Malinowski took Forward of the Week after scoring in both of Lafayette’s wins, an 11-0 rout of Lehigh, a league single-game record for goals, and a 6-0 win over William & Mary.
Her teammate Rosalie van Gool, a sophomore from the Netherlands, took the defensive award for a week that defenders aren’t supposed to have: 11 points, four goals and three assists across the two games, nine of those points against Lehigh alone, while the Lafayette defence held Lehigh to two shots on goal. She also scored the opener against William & Mary. Lafayette have won four straight and eight straight at home.
Midfielder: Kaleigh Missimer, American
American’s graduate midfielder converted a penalty stroke at 17 minutes to level Boston University, scored again five minutes later for a career-high two goals, and American won 3-2 late. She has six goals this season, a career best, in a weekend where she was the only Eagle to score twice.
Goalkeeper: Sarah Althouse, Bucknell
Althouse’s week snapped a seven-game Bucknell losing streak, and she basically did it herself. Twelve saves against Colgate, facing 23 shots and 18 penalty corners, five corners turned away in overtime alone, then she shut down the shootout to clinch the win. On Senior Day she added a seven-save shutout of La Salle, the 11th of her career. Her 31st career win ties the Bucknell school record, and this is her fifth career weekly award.
Rookie: Marianna MacLean, Holy Cross
The fifth award went to the story of the Patriot League season. Marianna MacLean, a freshman from Edinburgh, won Rookie of the Week for the fifth time: a goal and two assists across two games, including two assists in an 8-0 win over New Haven, Holy Cross’s biggest win since 2006, and the Crusaders’ only goal at UAlbany on Sunday. She sits second in the league with 24 points. Five rookie awards before November. Scotland will be watching this one.
Althouse was also an NFHCA honourable mention — see the NFHCA Players of the Week — plus the US college Wednesday round-up and the Big East honours.
