Amadio and Portugal Earn Player of the Week Honors
Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Lily Amadio, Central Michigan
Goalkeeper, Redshirt Senior, Shavertown, Pa. (Dallas)
Senior goalkeeper Lily Amadio made her home final appearance in the Maroon and Gold a special one on Friday, notching four saves in a 1-0 shutout of Ball State, Central Michigan's first Mid-American Conference win of the season. Facing 11 total Cardinals' shots, including six on goal, Amadio kept BSU off the scoreboard for all 70 minutes, highlighted by several highlight-reel saves in the second half. Amadio ranks second in the MAC with 100 total saves.
Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Paula Portugal, Miami
Midfielder/forward, Senior, Madrid, Spain (IES Diego Velazquez)
Paula Portugal led the conference in scoring this week, notching five of Miami's eight goals, getting both game-winners. She scored the opener against Appalachian State and added an insurance goal late in the game; in addition, she created multiple opportunities for the RedHawks and generated a number of penalty corners to keep Miami on the attack. In the second game against Michigan State, Portugal notched a natural hat trick, getting the first three goals of the game to set a new season-high for her with 21 goals.
Other Nominees
Katie Wyman, Longwood
Goalkeeper, Redshirt Junior, Havertown, Pa. (Havertown)
Wyman held off Georgetown for a full 90 minutes, allowing the Hoyas just one goal in a matchup that extended through two overtimes and into a shootout. She posted six saves in the marathon effort, including a combined four in 20 minutes of overtime. The Hoyas eventually took the matchup on penalty corners 2-1 when Georgetown's goalkeeper blocked four of the five shots she faced. On the season, Wyman leads the MAC with a .735 save percentage and ranks among the top three in goals against average (1.82), shutouts (2) and saves per game (5.36).
Mariona Heras, Miami
Back/Midfielder, Red-shirt senior, Terrassa, Catalonia (IES Terrassa)
Mariona Heras marshaled a defense that allowed only seven shots in two games, of which only four made it on cage. The RedHawks surrendered only three short corners on the weekend; both totals led the conference this week. In both games, Miami allowed zero shots and zero corners in the first half of play.
Mary Crumlish, Kent State
Goalkeeper, Junior, Buffalo, NY (prev. school Siena College)
A rock in the cage for the Flashes, junior goalkeeper Mary Crumlish is a key leader in the Kent State defense, racking up a season-high 11 saves in a 2-1 victory over Ohio University. In the final minutes of the game, the Buffalo, NY native recorded three-consecutive saves following two penalty corners to hold the Kent State lead and prevent the game from going into overtime. Facing 12 shots in the contest, Crumlish garnered a 0.917 save percentage on the day and brought her season saves total to 74.
Jillian Shive, Ohio
Midfielder, Sophomore, Lebanon (Ursuline Academy
In her first season with the Bobcats, Jillian has been the cornerstone of the Ohio offence. An unassuming leader, she has set the example both on and off the field, remaining unchallenged at the top of Ohio’s leader board for goals. During last weekend’s contest with Kent State, Jillian scored the only Bobcat goal. Jillian’s game-winning goal percentage is the best in the MAC, and she tallies third in overall goals, points per game and goals per game.
Leonie Verstraete, Longwood
Forward, Senior, Utretcht, The Netherlands
Verstraete scored her team-leading 10th goal of the season in a marathon matchup at Georgetown last week, tying the score in the first half of a game that was eventually decided in a shootout. Verstraete amassed a team-high seven shots in the game, including four on goal, to reach double-digit goals for the second time in her career. She now leads the Lancers and ranks second in the MAC in both goals and points, and first in shots.
Pippa Best, Kent State
Forward, Senior, Lisburn, Northern Ireland (Royal School Armagh/Liberty University)
Senior forward Pippa Best was instrumental for the Kent State attack in its 2-1 victory over Ohio University, netting the first goal of the game. Breaking the gridlock in the 53rd minute, Best gathered the ball rebounding off the goalkeeper's pads and put it back into the cage. The Lisburn, Northern Ireland native further led the team with smart communication and great work on the forward line on both sides of the ball.
Samantha Glapinski, Central Michigan
Midfielder/Back, Redshirt Sophomore, Hartland, Wis. (Arrowhead)
Redshirt sophomore Samantha Glapinski came through in the clutch for Central Michigan in its regular season finale, helping the Chippewas capture their first Mid-American win of the year. At the 14:16 mark of the first half, Glapinski deflected in a hard shot from teammate Kayla McClure, getting CMU on the scoreboard and notching the only goal it would need to hold off the Cardinals. Glapinski is the Chippewas' leading scorer, totaling three goals for the season.
