Three PSU student-athletes receive LEC weekly honors

Panthers recognized in women’ s tennis and women’s soccer 

            PLYMOUTH, N.H. – Three Plymouth State University student-athletes were recognized by the Little East Conference Monday with Player of the Week honors for their performances in Panther victories last week.

            Junior Laura Donovan (Acton, Mass./Acton-Boxborough) and freshman Molly Heartfield (Dorset, Vt./Burr & Burton Academy) were honored in women’s tennis, Donovan as the LEC Player of the Week and Heartfield as the LEC Rookie of the Week; and junior Angelina LaBroad (Hampton, N.H./Winnacunnet) was selected LEC Women’s Soccer Goalkeeper of the Week. Donovan received the same honor once last season while the other two are first-time selections.

            A 5’3” junior, Donovan (right) went 4-0 last week with a pair of wins at both No. 2 singles and No. 3 doubles.  She lost only one game Tuesday in a 6-0, 6-1 singles win over LEC foe Worcester State, and outlasted her Endicott opponent on Thursday in a series of tiebreakers, helping PSU defeat Endicott for the first time since 2004.  Donovan also teamed with freshman Elizabeth Silsby (Dorset, Vt./Burr & Burton Academy) at No. 3 doubles for an 8-2 win against Worcester State and an 8-3 triumph over Endicott.

            A 5’6” freshman, Heartfield (left) posted a 4-0 record last week with a pair of wins at both No. 5 singles and No. 1 doubles, helping PSU to a 2-0 week.  She won both her singles matches in straight sets against Worcester State on Tuesday and Endicott on Thursday.  Heartfield also teamed with sophomore Sara Burke (Barrington, R.I.) for a pair of 8-5 victories at No. 1 doubles, helping PSU improve to 3-0 on the season.

            A 5’5” keeper, LaBroad (right) recorded a 2-1 record with a 0.68 goals against average and .857 saves percentage in three games last week.  She made six saves in Tuesday’s 1-0 loss to Simmons and added five stops in Thursday’s 2-1 overtime victory at New England College.  LaBroad also made just one save in 69 scoreless minutes Saturday in the victory over Green Mountain, combining on the 5-0 shutout with reserve Courtney Lins (Fremont, N.H.)

            The Panther women’s soccer team, 2-2-0 overall, plays at home again this Tuesday, Sept. 14, against non-conference foe Colby-Sawyer College (4:30 p.m.), leading into the 2010 LEC opener this Saturday at rival Keene State College.  The women’s tennis team, 3-0 overall, is off until an LEC match Saturday at UMass Dartmouth. 

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