Date Posted: 10/16/2006

MACON, Ga. – Mercer’s Meghan Castaldo and Jacksonville’s Michelle Kmiotek led their teams to important late season victories to earn Atlantic Sun Conference weekly women’s soccer honors as announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.

Kmiotek recorded 11 saves to lead the Dolphins to shutout victories over Lipscomb and Belmont. The senior tallied seven saves in the win at Belmont pushing her into first all-time in program history in career saves. The keeper had four saves against Lipscomb for her eighth shutout of the season (which ranks 10th all-time on the single season A-Sun list). After the weekend, she has 287 career saves which, in addition to being the JU record, is also seventh all-time in conference history. The Tampa, Fla., native has a program-best 17 career shutouts which puts her in a tie for ninth all-time in the A-Sun. Kmiotek majors in Physical Education

Castaldo netted the game-winning goal against Stetson, handing the Hatters their first A-Sun loss of the season. Prior to that match, Stetson had surrendered just one goal in their previous six conference contests. The victory clinched for the Bears their first A-Sun Championship appearance since 1998. The sophomore has played well within the newly implemented 4-3-3 system, narrowly missing another goal earlier in the match that the keeper pushed into the crossbar for a save. For the year, the Atlanta, Ga., native leads the team in goals, assists and points. She majors in Biology.

The Atlantic Sun Conference hands out offensive and defensive Player of the Week awards weekly during the 2006 soccer campaign.

The 12-member league headquartered in Macon, Ga., consists of Belmont, Campbell, ETSU, Gardner-Webb, Jacksonville, Kennesaw State, Lipscomb, Mercer, UNF and Stetson with Florida Gulf Coast and USC Upstate beginning competition in 2007-08.

OTHER TOP PERFORMERS
• Laura Tucker, Kennesaw State (Sr. – F – Tuscaloosa, Ala. – Sport Management Major)
Notched multi-goal match at Gardner-Webb

• Keri Zwikker, Jacksonville (So. – F – Woodstock, Ontario – Exercise Science Major)
Setup game-winners in 1-0 wins over Lipscomb and Belmont

• Staci Pugh, Kennesaw State (Fr. – GK – Fayetteville, Ga. – Secondary Education Major)
Lowered NCAA’s 14th-best GAA to 0.44 with two shutouts

• Chandler Tannery, Mercer (Sr. – MF – Richardson, Texas – Finance Major)
Led defense that limited Stetson to just nine shots

• Samar Azem, Campbell (Sr. – GK – Jos, Nigeria – Mass Communications Major)
Led Campbell to first home win of season versus ETSU

Related Links:
 • A-Sun Women's Soccer