Kearney named SoCon Player of the Week
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – UNCG keeper Kelsey Kearney was named the first Southern Conference Player of the Week for the 2010 season, the league office announced Tuesday.
Kearney went 3-0 on the opening week of play, leading the Spartans to the first 3-0 start in school history with wins over East Carolina, No. 10 Wake Forest and Utah. The Spartans jumped into the national rankings for the first time since 1998 after the hot start, as they sit 18th in the latest Soccer America Top 25.
A junior captain from Durham, N.C., Kearney posted shutouts over ECU and Utah and just missed another, as Wake spoiled the shutout on a penalty kick in the 83rd minute. Kearney turned in a stellar .933 save percentage on the week, making five against ECU and Wake and four against Utah.
Her two shutouts moved her into a tie for second place in school history with 21 for her career in just 41 games. Her 0.33 GAA for the season lowers her career mark to 0.62, the best in school history.
The win over Wake was also the third of Kearney's career over a ranked opponent, as she was also in the net for wins over No. 15 Santa Clara in 2008 and No. 11 Duke in 2009.
The award is the third of its kind for Kearney. She was named the SoCon Player of the Week twice during her freshman season, taking the honor on Sept. 16 and Oct. 14, 2008.
The Spartans return to action this weekend at the Under Armour Invitational in Fullerton, Calif. UNCG will take on Southern Cal on Friday and host Cal State Fullerton on Sunday.
- UNCG -