Oct. 1, 2012

EASTON, Pa.- Three members of the Lafayette field hockey team were selected for Patriot League weekly awards, the league announced Monday. Senior co-captain Deanna DiCroce received the Offensive Player of the Week honor, while sophomore Brittany Blass took Defensive Player of the Week and classmate Jessica Deutsch notched the Goalkeeper of the Week award.

“We turned in an excellent team performance on Saturday, and also played tough against Rider midweek, so it’s hard to single out individual performances,” head coach Andrew Griffiths said. “That being said, Deanna was clinical with her finishing and dangerous inside the circle. Brittany and Jess made things very difficult for opponents in our defensive end, continuing to be a good combination.”

DiCroce tallied two goals and two assists in two games, putting up an impressive five points (2G, 1A) in the Leopards’ league-opening win over American on Saturday. She currently sits fourth in the nation in assists/game (0.89) and is tied for the Patriot League lead in points with 18. DiCroce extends her record in career Patriot League weekly awards to eight with her second honor of the season.

Blass was the key to a defensive unit that allowed just one goal in each game and only one shot on goal in a 4-1 win at American. She was part of a defensive corner team that stopped 12 corners from Rider in a 3-1 win on Tuesday. Her fourth weekly accolade this season, Blass has been named Defensive Player of the Week for the third week in a row.

Continuing to be a force in the cage, Deutsch let in two goals in two games, moving her goals-against average to 1.19. She came up with four saves against Rider, helping shut down 12 corner attempts from the Broncs. Deutsch leads the Patriot League and sits sixth in the nation in goals-against average (1.19) and leads the league in save percentage (.744). She is named Goalkeeper of the Week for the second straight time and third time this season.

Lafayette faces Penn on Wednesday at Rappolt Field at 7 p.m. before Colgate comes to town for the Patriot League home-opener on Saturday at noon.