MAC Defensive Player of the Week
Azure Fernsler, Kent State
Goalkeeper, Junior, Sinking Spring, Pa.
Junior Azure Fernsler recorded her third shutout victory of the season in the 1-0 victory over Ball State improving Kent State to 2-0 in conference play. In the game, Fernsler made six saves off the eight of the Cardinals' shots. On the season, Fernsler has made 50 saves and holds a .769 save percentage and a 1.63 goals against average.
MAC Offensive Player of the Week
Leonor Berlie, Miami
Midfielder, Junior, Geneva, Switzerland
Junior midfielder Leonor Berlie recorded her first career hat trick on Thursday as Miami beat Towson 5-2 in the first-ever NCAA field hockey game to be played in Texas. Berlie's three goals brings her season total to seven to tie her career high and tie the lead in the MAC. She led Miami's offense with 13 shots and nine shots on goal this week to continue to lead the team and the conference in shots (72) and shots on goal (37) this season.
Other Nominees
Weslee Littlefield, Ohio
Defense, Freshman, Oakland, Maine/Winslow
Littlefield recorded an important defensive save against Longwood, keeping the Lancers from scoring a goal that would push the game into OT. Littlefield's freshman year has been impressive, as she's started all 9 games for the Bobcats' defensive unit that has recorded two shutouts and one one-goal win.
Katie Wyman, Longwood
Goalkeeper, Redshirt Senior, Havertown, Pa. (Haverford)
A two-time All-MAC performer, Longwood's Katie Wyman was in top form over the past week. She stopped all 12 saves she faced against William & Mary as she recorded her fifth shutout of the season in a 1-0 road win. Her performance raised her save percentage to .875, which tops all NCAA goalies. She then recorded seven saves in a tight 2-1 loss at Ohio on Saturday, Overall, she boasts a save percentage of .864 and goals against average of 1.10 as she continues her outstanding campaign in net for the Lancers.
Marie Gorner, Miami
Midfielder, Senior, Seddin, Germany (Wolkenberg-Gymnasium)
Senior midfielder Marie Görner led a Miami defense that allowed just four shots in Thursday's game against Towson in the first NCAA field hockey game to ever be played in Texas. The RedHawk defense allowed a combined six penalty corners in two games this week, including a matchup against No. 20 Wake Forest. Görner served as an outlet to the Miami offense as the RedHawks took 16 shots and earned 17 penalty corners against Towson. She also tallied an assist in the Towson victory.
Wietske Overdijkink, Ball State
Goalkeeper, Freshman , Bammbrugge, Netherlands (HV Abcoude)
Wietske continues to shine defensively for the Cardinals. She registered eight saves against the Golden Flashes Friday and now has 36 saves in just five games for the season. Wietske holds a 90 percent saving percentage this year helping the Cardinals rank 12th nationally among NCAA Division I schools in saving percentage (.785).
Rachel Gaines, Appalachian State
Goalkeeper, Senior, Kettering, Ohio (Kettering
Rachel Gaines provided two stellar performances in the goal cage this past weekend for the Mountaineers. Gaines made a combined 11 saves after facing 25 combined shots between games at Central Michigan and Michigan on Friday and Saturday. In Saturday's 1-0 defeat at No. 9 Michigan, Gaines made nine saves to keep the Wolverines off the board until midway through the final period. Michigan entered Saturday's contest by outscoring its past four opponents 12-0 in regulation, which included a 3-0 win at Central Michigan and a 4-0 victory over Kent State. The senior's nine saves was also her second-highest save total of the season. Gaines made 12 stops against No. 1 UNC on Sept. 22. The Kettering, Ohio native also picked up her eighth win in the goal cage on Friday against CMU. Gaines made two saves before freshman Addie Clark played the final nine minutes in net for the Mountaineers.
Karynne Baker, Ohio
Forward, Senior, Falls Church, Va./McLean
Baker scored both goals in Ohio's second MAC win of the season, taking down Longwood 2-1. These were her second and third goals of the season, putting her at the halfway mark to her career-high of six.
Clara Rodriguez Seto, Kent State
Back, Junior, Barcelona, Spain
Junior Clara Rodriguez Seto paced the Flashes this weekend as Kent State went 2-0 on the road. The junior assisted the only goal the Flashes' needed in the 1-0 shutout victory over Ball State on Friday. In the game, Rodriguez Seto fired four shots with two being on target. In the 5-1 win over Indiana, she had four shots, a goal, and an assist. On the season, she has a team-high seven goals and four assists and carries a .429 shots on goal percentage.
Angel Nkosi, Ball State
MF, Freshman, Pretoria, South Africa
Nkosi continues to be successful thru the midfield with her offensive moves to help generate attacking opportunities for the Cardinals. Nkosi's linking play in the midfield and penetration of the circle helped result in six penalty corners against Kent State. For the season, Nkosi leads her freshman classmates with two goals.
Meghan Smart, Appalachian State
Forward, Junior, Haddonfield, N.J. (Haddonfield Memorial)
Meghan Smart delivered her team-leading sixth goal of the season in a 5-2 win at Central Michigan on Friday. Friday's victory marked App State's first conference win in 2019, using three goals in the second quarter to take control of the contest. Smart's strike in the 17th minute broke a 1-1 deadlock that became a 4-1 halftime lead for the Mountaineers. Smart also tallied her first two assists in the win over CMU, securing an assist on Chloe Bell's goal in the first period and Friederike Stegen's score in the third quarter. Smart leads App State with 14 points, six goals, 18 shots on target and four game-winning goals. The forward's four-point performance on Friday was also her third four-point game this season. Smart tallied four points in wins over Towson and Lafayette as the Mountaineers opened the season 6-0.
