BOSTON, Mass. – The New England Women's and Men's Athletic Conference (NEWMAC) has announced its weekly awards and two Mount Holyoke College student-athletes have been recognized. Cassidy Robinson was named the Offensive Performer of the Week in soccer, while Liz DiCesare garnered Defensive Performer of the Week recognition in field hockey.
A senior forward from Lebanon, N.H., Robinson scored all four of Mount Holyoke's goals last week as the Lyons went 1-1 overall. In a 2-1 double-overtime win against Western New England, she scored the game's first goal and then tallied the game-winner in the 107th minute to give MHC its first-ever win over the Golden Bears. Robinson then scored both goals, including a tying marker in the second half, in a narrow 3-2 loss to Babson in the NEWMAC season opener.
Through seven games this season, Robinson leads the NEWMAC in both points (16) and goals (7). She has also added two assists on 25 shots. She has been the offensive catalyst for the Lyons thus far scoring seven of the team's 12 goals.
Robinson, who is a graduate of Lebanon High School, scored four goals for eight points during her junior season, starting 15 games overall. As a sophomore, she played in four games and appeared in three contests during her first year with a goal to her credit.
A sophomore goalkeeper from Westford, Mass., DiCesare earned top defensive honors in field hockey after backstopping the #17 Lyons to a 1-0 victory over #18 Williams in MHC's only contest last week. She stopped 14 shots in the win, including nine in the second half of action. It was the third shutout of the season for Mount Holyoke and moved DiCesare's record to 5-1.
Through the first six games, DiCesare sports a 5-1 overall record. She owns a 0.81 goals against average and the conference's best save percentage with a .889 mark. Additionally, she has made 32 saves and has surrendered just four goals this season. Currently, DiCesare ranks first in the NEWMAC in save percentage, second in goals against average and fourth in both goals against and saves.
A former standout at Bishop Guertin High School, DiCesare was the NEWMAC Rookie of the Year last season, posting an 18-3 mark as the starter in all 21 games. She owned a 1.14 goals against average with a .841 save percentage. In addition to 111 saves made over 1289:53 minutes of action, she recorded a shutout and five combined shutouts. Ranking first in the NEWMAC in wins and save percentage, she helped back the Lyons to its first NCAA Tournament win in program history, also advancing to the NCAA Second Round.
Mount Holyoke's soccer team (3-4; 0-1 NEWMAC) returns to action on Tuesday when it travels to Rensselaer for a 7:30pm game. The Lyons field hockey team (5-1; 0-0 NEWMAC) is also in action on Tuesday, traveling to Wesleyan for a 7pm start against the Cardinals.
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