NEC Player of the Week: Giavanna Inzerillo, CCSU
NEC Defensive Player of the Week: Sam Hughes, WC
NEC Rookie of the Week: Keely Thomas, LIU
Previous NEC Releases: August 21 |
NEC Preseason Poll
NEC WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Giavanna Inzerillo, Sr., F, Central Connecticut
Manorville, NY/Eastport South Manor
Inzerillo scored two goals for CCSU in a nailbiting 4-3 loss to Brown on Sunday. The senior forward's tallies gave the Blue Devils a 2-1 lead as she scored off a rebound in the 11th minute and netted a penalty kick in the 31st minute against a talented Brown side that advanced to the second round of the 2022 NCAA Tournament. In a clash of conference preseason favorites, CCSU led for the first 81+ minutes of the match before conceding two late goals.
NEC WOMEN'S SOCCER DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sam Hughes, Jr., GK, Wagner
Pottstown, PA/Owen J. Roberts
Hughes made a total of nine saves last week as the Seahawks went 1-1 over the weekend. The junior goalkeeper stopped five shots in a shutout victory over Army on Thursday and added four more saves in a one-goal setback against Manhattan on Sunday. She finished the week with an .818 save percentage.
NEC WOMEN'S SOCCER ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Keely Thomas, R-Fr., GK, LIU
Richmond, VA/Maggie L. Walker Governor's School (Longwood)
Thomas posted a season-high six saves and turned away a penalty kick in the 28th minute as LIU fell to UMBC, 1-0, in the Sharks' lone game of the week on Sunday. She made a diving save with her left leg to stop the Retrievers from capitalizing on the penalty. After recording a pair of shutouts to open the season, the redshirt freshman played 191:28 minutes before conceding the first goal of her college career.
NEC PRIME PERFORMERS
Giavanna Inzerillo, Sr., F, CCSU
In a match against a talented Brown squad, Inzerillo scored two goals off three shots in a 4-3 loss.
Nyla Allen, Sr., M, HOW
Allen totaled five points off two goals and one assist in Howard's 7-0 win against Hampton on Thursday.
Marli Berry, Sr., M, HOW
Berry scored one goal and added three assists as the Bison scored seven times in a victory over Hampton.
Melea Earley, Jr., F, HOW
Earley netted two goals and registered one asist in Howard's 7-0 win over Hampton.
Jenicah Brown, Sr., M, LEM
Brown tallied three points off one goal and one assist in a 1-1 week for Le Moyne. Brown's goal and assist came in the Dolphins' 3-2 win over Niagara. The senior midfielder's goal was the first goal scored in the program's Division I era. The victory against the Purple Eagles also marked the first DI victory in school history.
Hermine Hognerud, So., M, LEM
Hognerud scored the game winning goal for Le Moyne in its win over Niagara. Her marker came with just 85 seconds remaining in the match. It was the first triumph in Le Moyne's inaugural DI season.
Keely Thomas, R-Fr., GK, LIU
Thomas made a season-high six saves against UMBC on Sunday, including a diving save of a penalty kick.
Grace O'Hara, Jr., F, SHU
O'Hara, who tallied eight goals last season, put SHU ahead in the 70th minute with her first goal of the 2023 campaign in Sacred Heart's 2-2 draw against Yale on Friday.
Kayla Barbosa, Sr., D, WC
Barbosa scored the game-winning goal off a corner kick to give the Seahawks a 1-0 win over Army on opening night. Barbosa's Olimpico goal was featured as the top play on SportsCenter on August 24.
Sam Hughes, Jr., GK, WC
Hughes racked up nine saves in a 1-1 week for Wagner. She was credited with a shutout in Wagner's 1-0 win over Army on Thursday.