Monday, September 28, 2009

MACON, Ga. - FGCU’s Amber McCall earned Player of the Week laurels by netting two game-winning goals for the Eagles while teammate Stephanie Powers allowed only one goal in two matches to earn conference defensive honors, the league office announced on Monday.

McCall, a senior midfielder, led the Eagles’ offense last week, collecting two game winners as FGCU defeated Mercer on Friday and Kennesaw State on Sunday. McCall, a native of Fort Myers, Fla., notched her first game winner against Mercer in the 63rd minute, the criminal justice major, one-timed a cross put the Eagles up 2-1 to give the Eagles their sixth win of the season. At Kennesaw State, McCall scored the lone goal in the 34th to move FGCU to 2-0 in conference play, and lead the Eagles to their seventh win in their last eight games.

Powers, sophomore goalkeeper, recorded her fifth and sixth wins, and collected her fifth shutout of the season last week. Powers, the Seffner, Fla. native, came away with nine saves and only allowed one goal, as the Eagles have now won seven of their last eight games. Against Mercer, Powers had six saves to lead the Eagles to a 2-1 win in FGCU’s A-Sun opener. At Kennesaw State, Powers came up with three saves to earn her A-Sun leading fifth shutout of the season.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is an 11-member league committed to Building Winners for Life. The A-Sun stands for achievement with integrity in both the academic and athletic arenas, with a focus on the balance between the two for our student-athletes. Headquartered in Macon, Ga., the A-Sun boasts six of the top eight media markets in the Southeast. The A-Sun includes a blend of the most prestigious and 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
Katie Bitetto, Stetson (Jr. - F - Jacksonville, Fla. - Health Science) -- Bitetto scored the go-ahead goal and assisted on the eventual game-winning goal within 41 seconds of each other in Stetson's come from behind win at Mercer.

Jayme Trocino, Belmont (Jr. - M - Franklin, Tenn. - Nursing) -- Trocino notched a pair of goals over the weekend to help Belmont extend its win streak to three consecutive games. At High Point, the Franklin, Tenn., native netted the sandwich goal of a trio scored in a five-minute span to help the Bruins to their second consecutive shutout. In the team's Atlantic Sun road opener at Campbell, Trocino was the first player to find the back of the net in the 2-1 victory. She leads the team in goals scored and points with totals of six and 12, respectively.

Staci Pugh, Kennesaw State (Jr. - GK - Fayetteville, Ga. - Phsycial Education) -- Had seven saves against Stetson - Held Gavilsky scoreless when she is third in A-Sun in goals. Had five saves against FGCU and held FGCU to eight shots when they average more than 13. Held Olivia Elias to just one shot when she ranks second in A-sun in shots and shots per game.

Sari Lin, Belmont (So. - GK – Carfree, Ariz. - Marketing) -- The sophomore only allowed one ball to get past her over the weekend, helping Belmont extend its win streak to three contests. The Carefree, Ariz., native logged over 188 minutes inside the net, including a trip into overtime at Campbell. At High Point, Lin picked up her second shutout of the season with BU's 3-0 win. She finished the game with four saves. At Campbell. the sophomore played 98 minutes and the only ball that got past her was a penalty kick. She finished the team's conference road opener with three saves.

Dana Hillmann, USC Upstate (Fr. - M – Berlin, Germany - Undeclared) -- Hillmann scored two goals on Friday night as Upstate fell just short in their comeback attempt versus Jacksonville. The Berlin, Germany native also picked up an assist in the match against UNF.