Date Posted: 10/1/2007

MACON, Ga. – All season long, Kennesaw State’s Caitlin Dingle and Jacksonville’s Keri Zwikker have been among the offensive leaders in the Atlantic Sun. This weekend the two put their talents on display, each scoring four goals in their team’s two games. Included in Dingle’s weekend was a hat trick in the Owls’ 5-2 win against Stetson. For their efforts, Dingle and Zwikker are sharing the Offensive Player of the Week award as announced by the conference office on Monday.

In their opening conference games of the season, Dingle, a junior forward from Rockdale, Ga., produced her first hat trick and scored her third game-winner of the season. Then on Sunday, Dingle assisted on the first Owls goal and then scored one of her own to finish the weekend with nine points. She has recorded at least one point in each of the Owls last seven matches. Zwikker, the junior forward from Woodstock, Ontario, scored a pair of goals in both of the Dolphins' games this weekend, including the game-winner in both games. She has totaled 11 goals in 10 games, one more than she scored in all of 2006.

The two will be on the field together on Sunday in Jacksonville when the Dolphins host the Owls in a rematch of a semifinal from the 2006 Atlantic Sun Championships. Last season, as the No. 5 seed, the Dolphins upset the regular-season champion Owls with an overtime win. Dingle and Zwikker rank in the top eight in all nine individual offensive categories (shots, shots per game, points, points per game, goals, goals per game, assists, assists per game and game-winning goals). Dingle leads in shots, shots per game and is tied for the lead in game-winning goals. Zwikker leads in points, points per game, goals, goals per game and also shares the conference lead in game-winning goals. Dingle is second to Zwikker in the four categories she leads.

As good as Dingle and Zwikker have been on the offensive side of the pitch in 2007, Belmont’s Micaela Crowley has been just as good on the defensive side. The senior from Hoover, Ala. recorded shutouts against Campbell and Gardner-Webb in the Bruins’ first two A-Sun games, to give her a conference-leading four on the season. In the two games she made a combined 10 saves, increasing her save percentage to .957. For her efforts, she was named the Defensive Player of the Week by the conference office on Monday. It is Crowley’s second award of the season and the third of her career. She won the inaugural award of the season and won her first award in October of 2005.

On the season, Crowley managed to lower her already miniscule goals-against average. In 10 appearances, she has allowed just two goals in over 750 minutes of play for a 0.24 GAA. She leads the conference by almost 0.8 goals-per-game. By comparison, the gap she holds over second-ranked Emily Bennett is larger than the gap between the second and sixth-best keepers.

The Atlantic Sun Conference is a 12-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, Gardner-Webb 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

Lorna Brownlie, JU (Fr. - GK - Fife, Scotland - Exercise Science) -- In goal for both Dolphin wins this weekend; earned first career shutout against USC Upstate; second in the conference in saves.

Kacie Hudson, MER (Fr. - D – Marietta, Ga. - Business) -- Tallied the game-winning goal in 2-1 win over Stetson on Sunday; both goals on the year have been game-winning goals.

Katie Piotrowski, KSU (Fr. - GK – Rahway, N.J. - Undeclared) -- Posted a 1.00 goals against average in KSU's victories over Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast; secured fourth shutout in Owls' 3-0 win vs FGCU.

Katie Shelton, LIP (Jr. - GK - Hendersonville, Tenn.- Health and P.E.) -- Stopped season-high 13 shots as Lady Bisons tied Campbell 0-0, including a PK save in second OT; Made 22 saves this weekend.

Related Links:
 • A-Sun Women's Soccer