Monday, September 15, 2008

MACON, Ga. - Stetson's Tessa Gavilsky and Mercer's Kacie Hudson earned Women's Soccer Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, the conference announced Monday.

The Stetson women’s soccer team (1-4-1) came from behind Sunday and earned its first victory of the season, 3-2 against Embry-Riddle (1-1-0). Gavilsky, a sophomore, led the way for the Hatters with a pair of goals. She leads the team and ranks among the conference leaders in scoring with nine points (4 goals, 1 assist). On Thursday night, the Granite City, Ill native set up the team's only goal in a 1-1 tie at South Florida.

Hudson played all 200 minutes of the Bears' two matches this weekend, leading a well-organized defense from her center-back position. The Marietta, Ga. native helped the Bears record their second shut-out of the season, holding Alabama A&M to just seven shots and just one shot on goal in a 4-0 victory in Huntsville, Ala. She also scored her first goal of the season in that contest, a clever chip over the goalkeeper after beating the offside trap. All told, Hudson would help hold opponents to just one goal over the weekend, as Mercer earned a tie and a win in the two games.

Stetson takes to the home field to face Florida Atlantic on Friday. Mercer travels to Atlanta to take on Georgia Southern on Sunday.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life, with a focus on academic and athletic integrity and a balance between the two for the student-athlete, and maintaining a high level of sportsmanship. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun encompasses six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun consists of some of the most dynamic private and public institutions in the region: Belmont University, Campbell University, East Tennessee State University, Florida Gulf Coast University, Jacksonville University, Kennesaw State University, Lipscomb University, Mercer University, University of North Florida, University of South Carolina Upstate and Stetson University.

Other Top Performers
Carolina Austin, KSU (So. - D - Peachtree City, Ga. - Undeclared) - Assisted all three goals in the Owls 3-1 win over Furman; all off corner kicks and was named to the All-Tournament Team. Austin leads the Owls in assists with five.

Jessica Rix, BEL (So. - D - Carmel, Ind. - Undeclared) - Last week, Rix shut out Evansville's leading scorers - Kayla Lambert and Mia Tofano. She also had to anchor the Bruin defense on Sunday when two starters were unavailable due to injury. For her efforts in the Belmont Women's Soccer/Mafiaoza's Invitational, the Carmel, Ind., native was named to the All-Tournament team.

Olivia Tucker, MER (Fr. - D - Peachtree City, Ga. - Undeclared) – Tucker has emerged as a major force in the Mercer midfielder over the weekend. Olivia could not have picked a better time to score her first career goal, grabbing a dramatic game-tying goal in the 82nd minute against Georgia Southern and followed that up with a virtuoso performance against Alabama A&M, scoring two goals against the Bulldogs, including the game-winner. The first two-goal performance of the season for Mercer, Olivia nearly had a hat trick as well, only to be denied by the fingertips of the Alabama A&M keeper in a one-on-one opportunity. Olivia has now scored a point in three consecutive matches for the Bears, and has now claimed the team lead in both goals scored (3) and points (7).

Brittany Vining, KSU (Fr.- MF/F - Fayetteville, Ga. – Undeclared) – Scored two goals in the Owls first match of the Academy Sports Shootout - her first two goals of the year -Named to the all-tournament team.

A-Sun Weekly Notes
Lipscomb senior goalkeeper Katie Shelton earned her first shutout of the season, turning back seven shots in a 1-0 win Sept. 12 at Central Arkansas. Sophomore forward Halie Proffitt scored her first goal of the season in the win.