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Miller Named PL Defensive Player of the Week
Kaitlin De Troia named Freshman of the Week

Kaitlin De Troia won the Freshman of the Week honor for the first time.

September 23, 2003

WASHINGTON — American University senior goalie Laura Miller (Pennsburg, Pa./Quakertown) was named the field hockey Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week for September 22. It is the third straight week that she has won the honor. Kaitlin De Troia (North Caldwell, N.J./West Essex Regional) was named the Freshman of the Week.

American defeated Lafayette for the first time ever this past week by one goal, 2-1. AU had entered the game 0-4-0 versus Lafayette, but Miller faced 18 shots and came away with 13 saves to help the Eagles claim the victory.

American had jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a goal by De Troia, when she collected a rebound and put it past the Leopards' goalie at 26:19. When Lafayette scored in the second half it was the first time in 208 minutes that Miller had given up a goal, and it forced the OT.

Freshman Javiera Villagra (Santiago, Chile/Santiago College) scored the gamewinner at 80:27 when she blew past one defender, and then beat the goalie to the right, to finish things off for AU.

American is now 5-1-0 overall and 1-0-0 in Patriot League play. AU will next play at Georgetown on Wednesday, September 24 at 3:30 p.m. The Eagles received 14 votes in this week's 2003 STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll and are now ranked 24th.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women's sports and nine for men, completed its second year of membership in the Patriot League. Since joining the Patriot League, the University has captured league championships in men's cross country, women's cross country, women's lacrosse, men's soccer, women's soccer, men's tennis, women's tennis and women's volleyball, and a regular-season title in men's basketball.

Chartered by an act of Congress in 1893, American University features students from all 50 states, the District of Columbia and more than 160 nations worldwide.