IWLCA Players of the Week – March 9, 2021

The IWLCA has chosen six NCAA student-athletes for the IWLCA Player of the Week awards for the week of March 1 – March 7, 2021. This weekly award recognizes the best offensive and defensive performances by players in Division I, II, and III each week during the regular season.

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Jamie Ortega – University of North Carolina

Ortega scored a season-high six goals to lead the top-ranked Tar Heels to a 21-9 win over Boston College on Saturday. She spearheaded an 11-2 run with four goals in the second half, extending her goals streak to 20 consecutive games and posting her 50th career multi-goal game. The senior attacker scored her 200th career goal in the first half on UNC's second goal of the game and also added a ground ball and caused turnover to her stat line.

Co-Offensive Player of the Week

Sydney Watson – University of Connecticut

Watson led UConn to 2-0 record last week, totaling 10 goals, three ground balls, 24 draw controls and three caused turnovers. She had four goals, 11 draws, two ground balls and a caused turnover in Thursday's win over Albany, before scoring six goals, collecting 13 draws, and adding two caused turnovers and a ground ball in Sunday's overtime win over UMass. Watson, a senior midfielder, scored the overtime game-winner against the Minutewomen with 96 seconds left to play. 

Defensive Player of the Week

Paulina DiFatta – Elon University

DiFatta faced 13 shots, saving eight of them (.615 Save %), to lead Elon to a 6-5 upset over #12 James Madison, improving her record to 2-0 on the season. The win marked the first in program history against the Dukes and the fifth all-time win against nationally ranked opponents.

Offensive Player of the Week

Annie Plotts – Wingate University

Plotts set a school-record with 14 draw controls, while also tying the school record with 10 points in a 16-13 win over UVA Wise. The sophomore attacker recorded six goals, four assists, and four ground balls in the win as the Bulldogs moved to 3-1 on the season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Chaija Olsson – University of Mount Olive

Olsson led the Trojans to victory over Lander (15-10), and Alabama Huntsville (11-7) last week. In addition to collecting six ground balls, causing six turnovers, and collecting a draw, the senior defender held UAH’s, Hailey Gallant, who averages 6.5 points per game, to just one assist. Mount Olive is now 3-1 and ranked 19th in the IWLCA Division II Coaches Poll.

Offensive Player of the Week

Colleen Grombala – John Carroll University

Grombala led John Carroll to a 2-0 week, with a 19-1 win over Baldwin Wallace and a 16-6 victory against Otterbein. The attacker totaled 16 points (seven goals) in the two games, including a career high seven assists against BWU. Grombala, a graduate student, added 11 draw controls and four ground balls on the week, as the Blue Streaks improved to 4-0 on the season.

Defensive Player of the Week

Janaye Godfrey – Illinois Wesleyan University

Godfrey tied a career-high with 15 saves in a 9-7 win against Aurora, added another 15 saves in a 9-17 loss to #20 Denison, and  finished the week with six saves in the Titans’ 14-5 victory over Wittenberg. The senior goalkeeper posted a 9.66 goals against average to go with a save percentage of .581 for the week.