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Finnegan and Harmsen Tabbed as Patriot League Players of the Week
AU captures two of three awards

March 24, 2003

Kathleen Finnegan was named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week.	Nadia Harmsen was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week.

WASHINGTON — Freshman goalkeeper Kathleen Finnegan (Arnold, Md./St. Mary’s) and senior attack/midfielder Nadia Harmsen (Buzzards Bay, Mass./Tabor Academy) were honored by the Patriot League as the Defensive and Offensive Players of the Week respectively for Mar. 24.

American University has now earned the first two PL Offensive Player of the Week awards en route to a perfect 3-0 start in Patriot League action and 6-2 overall. The Eagles have won six consecutive games for the first time in the program’s history, eclipsing the old mark of four straight games won in 2002.

Finnegan earns her first Patriot League award of her career after posting two wins last week against Mount St. Mary’s and Lehigh. She started the week allowing eight goals and making eight saves against the Mount. Against Lehigh, Finnegan played an excellent game, saving 16 shots. She made nine saves in the first half to keep the Eagles in the game. In the first part of overtime, Finnegan saved two shots with under 30 seconds remaining to keep the game tied. She posted a save percentage of 58.5 for the week and a goals-against average of 8.36.

For the third time in her career, Harmsen was named Patriot League Offensive Player of the Week. She became only the fourth player in AU history to notch 100 career points with a goal against Mount St. Mary’s. Harmsen led the Eagles in scoring last week with three goals and two assists against the Mount and two goals against Lehigh. She is currently tied for the team lead in draw controls, third in caused turnovers, fourth in ground balls and fifth in points. Harmsen only needs 10 more goals this season to become the fourth player in AU history with 100 career goals and with three more draw controls, she will tie the school record.

The Eagles return to action on Tuesday against La Salle on Reeves Field. The match begins at 3:30 p.m.

American University, which fields a 19-sport NCAA Division I athletics program featuring 10 women’s sports and nine for men, is in 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, men’s soccer, women’s soccer, men’s tennis, women’s tennis and women’s volleyball, and regular-season titles in men’s basketball and women’s lacrosse.

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.