University of Connecticut Athletics
Senior duo take home weekly BIG EAST honors
10/22/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Storrs, CT (October 22) – University of Connecticut women’s soccer team members Shanna Caldwell (Williamsburg, VA) and Casey Zimny (Rochester, NY) were named BIG EAST Co-Goalkeeper and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, by the conference on Monday afternoon.
Caldwell, a senior keeper who made her first start of the season on Oct. 12 against West Virginia, made nine saves this weekend as the Huskies notched wins over Pittsburgh and No. 4 Notre Dame. The senior tied her season high in saves with eight against the Irish on Sunday in a 3-1 win, and she combined with junior Maria Yatrakis (Brooklyn, NY) on Friday for the Huskies’ third straight shutout and eighth of the season. Caldwell has started the last four games and made seven appearances this season, posting a 4-0-0 record and a 0.21 goals against average.
Zimny, who was named BIG EAST Preseason Co-Defensive Player of the Year over the summer, anchored the defense that allowed only one goal over the weekend. She was a major factor in the win over the Irish, disrupting runs and clearing passes out of the box in 90 minutes of action. The senior also scored UConn’s first goal of the game on a free kick from 18 yards out, her first tally of the season and first since November 20, 1999.
The honors were the first for each this season and the third for Zimny in her career. She earned Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors last season on Oct. 9 and Rookie of the Week honors her freshman season on November 2, 1998.
The Huskies have been no strangers to weekly conference honors this season, as they’ve had eight players receive a total of 10 awards. UConn has earned one of the four BIG EAST honors in six out of seven weeks thus far and has four times had a pair of honorees in the same week. The Huskies, with two weeks left in the regular season, have already exceeded the number of winners from the past two seasons combined.
The Connecticut women’s soccer team will close out a three-game homestand on Wednesday, October 24 at Morrone Stadium. The Huskies, who guaranteed their 23rd straight winning season with the victory over Pittsburgh, will host nationally-ranked Harvard in a contest scheduled to start at 7 p.m.
