Conference

Michelle Pieczynski, Monmouth
Doylestown, PA / Central Bucks West
F
Junior
5-9

Pieczynski provided all the offensive firepower Monmouth needed in its lone game last week. The junior forward tallied five points in a 5-1 victory over Georgetown that allowed the Hawks to close out the non-conference portion of their schedule with an 8-4 record. Remaining atop the NEC’s goal scoring leader board, Pieczynski logged two goals and an assist in Monmouth’s second win over a Big East member this season. With the Hawks facing an early 1-0 deficit, Pieczynski played the ball in from the baseline to set up Patricia O’Dwyer’s equalizer 8:46 into the contest. One minutes and 46 seconds later, Pieczynski took it upon herself to break the tie and rattled the cage to give the Hawks the lead for good. She opened the second half scoring by adding another marker, which bumped Monmouth’s advantage to 4-1, in the 37th minute.

Virginia Egusquiza, Rider

Sr
Senior
5-4

Egusquiza totaled three goals and three assists in the two road victories that ran Rider’s record to a NEC-best 9-1 last week. The reigning two-time NEC Player of the Year logged an assist in a 3-0 shutout of Big East member Villanova and then accounted for an offensive explosion against Lehigh four days later. Helping Rider to its fourth consecutive road win in the state of Pennsylvania, Egusquiza dished out two first-half assists before rattling the cage three times in the second half of a 6-1 win over the Patriot League member. After her two helpers allowed the Broncs to take a 3-0 halftime advantage, Egusquiza turned a natural hat trick in the second half. Her three consecutive goals iced the 6-0 victory over Lehigh and upped her league-leading scoring total to 28 points.