Landmark Announces Players Of The Week

Madison, N.J. - The Landmark Conference has recognized nine student-athletes as Players of the Week following a week of competition that included the first-ever Landmark Conference contest. The selections are made by the Landmark Conference office.

Men's Cross Country:
Junior Keith Wagner paced the USMMA men's team at the NYU Invitational in a preview of the NCAA Regional champi­onship. The first-year performer placed 76th overall in the difficult field and was the first Mariner runner across the line. He posted a time of 27:17.90 on the 8K course, which ranks as the second-fasted 8K time in the conference this season. He helped USMMA finish 16th in the 25-team field.

Women's Cross Country:
Senior Callie Beeler helped USMMA turn in a strong team per­formance at the NYU Invitational which served as a preview of the NCAA Regional. Beeler crossed the finish line in a time of 23:50.50 on the 6,000-meter course, which is the second-fastest 6K time of the seaoson among Landmark runners. Her efforts earned her a 36th-place finish among the 257 runners and helped USMMA place 15th in the 24-team field.

Field Hockey
Offensive Player of the Week:
Senior Michelle Campbell scored a pair of goals as Juniata enjoyed a perfect 3-0 week including two wins over nationally-ranked team. Campbell provided the game-winning tally as the Eagles rallied to beat 20th-ranked Elizabethtown. She then struck for the first goal of the game as Juniata blanked Richard Stockton 6-0 to cap the week.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Junior goalkeeper Abby Funk posted a shutout and allowed just one goal over three matches as Juniata went 3-0 this past week. She totaled nine saves without allowing a goal as the Eagles knocked off 10th-ranked Rowan on the road. She added six saves while surrendering one goal in a win against 20th-ranked Eliza­bethtown, and then capped the week by keeping Richard Stockton off the scoreboard with two saves in 54 minutes in goal.

Men's Soccer:
Offensive Player of the Week:
Senior Tim Logan claims the Landmark Offensive Player of the Week honors for the second-straight week after the Royals finished 1-1 this past week. The senior scored an historic goal as he tallied the game-winner in overtime as Scranton defeated USMMA in the first conference contest between two Landmark programs. It was the ninth game-winning goal of his career. He also scored once in Scranton's 3-2 set-back to Penn State-Altoona.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Senior sweeper Chris Nitta earns Landmark defender of the week honors for the second-straight week. He anchored the Mariners defense as the team posted a 4-0 shutout win over Farmingdale State and then again as they allowed just two goals on nine shots against Scranton. The shutout against Farmingdale was the third-straight clean sheet for USMMA and Nitta helped the Mariners defense go 363 minutes without surrendering a goal before the first score in the Scranton match.

Women's Soccer:
Offensive Player of the Week:
Senior Diana Napolitano helped keep the Catholic offense on a roll as the Cardinals posted a 6-3 win over Cabrini. The senior midfielder scored a goal and notched an assist in the contest to help Catholic earn the win. Her assist was the 20th of her career which established a new school record for career assists.

Defensive Player of the Week:
Senior goalkeeper Lisa Russo did not concede a goal this past week as Juniata earned a pair of victories. She stopped a season-high nine shots to capture her second shutout of the year as the team downed Rutgers-Newark. She made a pair of saves while playing 30 minutes in goal in a win over Chatham. Her two scoreless efforts lowered her goals against average to 0.40 for the season.

Volleyball:
Senior Amber Thomas was a key offensive and defensive per­former as Juniata went 3-0 this past week with all three wins coming against nationally-ranked foes. She earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team at the Washington (Mo.) Teri Clemons Invitational as she piled up 65 kills and 38 digs with a .294 hitting percentage in three matches. She finished with 24 kills and 11 digs in a win over fourth-ranked Washington and then notched another double-double with 17 kills and 11 digs as the Eagles topped third-ranked Wisconsin-Whitewater. Thomas knocked out 24 more kills in a win over 14th-ranked LaVerne.