Northwestern University Athletics
LoManto, Leonard Nab American Lacrosse Conference Weekly Honors
2/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Lacrosse
Feb. 22, 2011
EVANSTON, Ill. -- A pair of Wildcats have been recognized by the American Lacrosse Conference for their efforts in the season-opening victory against 10th-ranked Notre Dame Saturday. Brianne LoManto (Miller Place, N.Y./Rocky Point) was named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week while Alyssa Leonard (Bay Shore, N.Y./Bay Shore) was tabbed the ALC's Rookie of the Week. Florida's Kitty Cullen was named the Offensive Player of the Week.
LoManto, who picked up the second ALC Defensive Player of the Week honor of her career, had nine saves against the Fighting Irish. She had a pair of key stops early, helping keep Notre Dame off the board and helping the Wildcats break out to a 3-0 lead. Then, leading 14-11, LoManto had a pair of crucial saves down the stretch to preserve the victory for Northwestern. LoManto ranks fifth all-time in program history in saves (177), while her 159 in 2010 was the second-best single season total in NU history.
Leonard made an immediate impact in her first collegiate game, recording a goal off a hard angle shot from the right side of the net against the Irish. But where she really made her mark was in the draw circle, winning a game-high six draw controls as Northwestern dominated Notre Dame 22-5. She also played a key role in helping the Wildcats win 17 consecutive draws during one stretch against the Irish.
Northwestern continues its challenging five-game season-opening road trip this coming weekend, traveling to the Southeast for a pair of games against top-11 teams. The Wildcats face third-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill Friday, Feb. 25, before hopping over to Nashville, Tenn., for their American Lacrosse Conference opener against 11th-ranked Vanderbilt Sunday, Feb. 27.
********************
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats! -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter and become a fan of Northwestern Lacrosse on Facebook! Get the latest news, schedule updates, video and interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!
