Nov. 2, 2013
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA. - Siena Women's Soccer senior captain Brittany Pfaff was named a First Team All-MAAC selection at the conference's awards banquet at Disney's Hollywood Studios. Center backs Anna Grant and Tara Sobierajski earned Second Team accolades, with Sobierajski also being named to the All-MAAC Rookie Team.
A Preseason All-MAAC selection, Pfaff leads the MAAC in scoring with 34 points - nine more than her nearest competitor. The Charlotte, Vt. native also leads the league in goals (14) and ranks second in game-winning goals (five) and fourth in assists (six). A three-time MAAC Offensive Player of the Week, Pfaff stands just two goals and two points shy of surpassing former teammate Ashleigh Barone's single-season program records of 15 goals and 35 points during the 2008 season.
A native of Stratham N.H., Grant too was a Preseason All-MAAC honoree. She once again has quarterbacked the Saints' defense and both started in and player every minute of every match this fall. The Saints' corner kick specialist, Grant has also registered a career-high three assists.
Named the MAAC Rookie of the Week on Aug. 26, Sobierajski has burst onto the scene on both ends of the pitch in a big way this fall. Defensively, she has joined Grant in starting all 20 matches at center back to form one the best center backfield tandems in the league. Offensively, the Rockaway, N.J. native has totaled 11 points and scored the game-winning goal in the Saints' 2-1 upset of third seeded Iona in yesterday's conference quarterfinals matchup.
New MAAC member and conference regular season champion Monmouth captured four of the MAAC's five major awards in Dana Costello (Offensive Player of the Year), Alexis McTamney (Rookie of the Year), Ashley Lewis (Goalkeeper of the Year) and Krissy Turner (Coach of the Year). Fairfield's Emma Pichl was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Year.
For a fourth straight year, the Saints tied a program record with 12 MAAC All-Academic Team selections, an award reserved for student athletes who have been at their institution for at least a full academic year and possess a 3.20 cumulative GPA or better. Siena's honorees included seniors Coreena D'Alfonso, Erin Kelly, Kayla Mancusi, Sara Mikula and Pfaff, juniors Grant, Maria Jones and Katie Zambrano and sophomores Allison Clark, Kirby O'Keefe, Matar Rahamim and Liz Rogan.
The sixth seeded Saints take on No. 2 seed Fairfield in the MAAC Semifinals Sunday at 2 p.m. on ESPN3 at ESPN's Wide World of Sports Complex.
