Oct. 28, 2002
For the second time in three weeks, George Mason University senior forward Katy Robertson of the women's soccer team has been selected as the Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Week. In addition, freshman defender Damian O'Rourke has been chosen as the CAA Rookie of the Week for men's soccer.
Each award is for accomplishments from Oct. 21-27. It is the fourth time Robertson has been honored by the CAA in her career, as she also was named conference Player of the Week on Oct. 14 and once each as a freshman and as a sophomore. O'Rourke receives his honor for the first time.
A 5-7 native of Atlanta, GA, and a 1998 graduate of Brookwood High School, Robertson had an excellent week as she scored both goals in George Mason's 2-1 victory in double overtime at James Madison last Wednesday and assisted on the lone Patriot goal in a 3-1 loss to nationally ranked Florida State Sunday. Those stats lifted her team-leading totals to six goals, four assists and 16 points, and she is ranked tied for seventh in the CAA with 1.0 points per game and tied for ninth with 0.38 goals per game.
After missing all of last season with a knee injury (she suffered a similar injury at the end of her freshman season), Robertson has returned to her accustomed spot atop the George Mason scoring lists. A three-time All-CAA selection, Robertson led the Patriots with 17 goals and 11 assists as she earned CAA Rookie of the Year honors in 1998, then she set Mason records with 23 goals and 60 points (also a conference record) in 1999. She had 10 goals and seven assists in 2000 before suffering her latest knee injury, and for her George Mason career, she ranks second with 148 points and 36 assists and is third with 56 goals.
O'Rourke is a 6-2 native of Shannon, Ireland, and is a graduate of St. Patricks College (an Irish secondary school). He had an outstanding week as he helped the Patriots to a 1-1-1 record as they lost at defending NCAA champion North Carolina Tuesday, 2-0, tied nationally ranked Virginia Commonwealth at home Friday, 0-0 in double overtime, and defeated UNC Wilmington in Fairfax Sunday, 4-0.
Starting the last 12 games since missing the first two this season, O'Rourke has played well on both ends of the field. His play as a central defender helped the Patriots post their sixth and seventh shutouts of the season in the contests against VCU and UNCW, and he added a goal and an assist against the Seahawks as he moved forward on set plays. O'Rourke currently leads George Mason with seven points on two goals (tied for second on the team) and three assists (second).
The George Mason women (7-10 overall, 5-2 in the CAA) conclude their regular season this week by hosting Virginia Commonwealth (second in the CAA at 5-2-1) in a second-place showdown Wednesday at 7 p.m. at George Mason Stadium, then the Patriots visit Old Dominion (2-5-1 CAA) Saturday at 7 p.m. The Patriot men (7-4-3 overall, 2-1-1 CAA) play their final two home games this week as they host conference foes Towson (3-1-1 CAA) Friday at 7 p.m. and Delaware (0-4-1 CAA) Sunday at 1 p.m.
