Oct. 25, 2004
RICHMOND, Va. -- George Mason's women's soccer team walked away with a sweep of two league honors this week, the Colonial Athletic Association announced Monday. Senior forward Sarah Wilkinson (Lincoln University, Pa.) was named CAA Player of the Week, while freshman defender Jessica Paris (Clifton, Va.) earned CAA co-Rookie of the Week honors for the week ending Oct. 24. The duo helped complete a sweep of CAA foes UNC Wilmington (3-0) and Va. Commonwealth (3-2), as the Patriots attempt to march to a CAA Tournament berth.
Wilkinson joins sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Brown (Sept. 27) as Patriot recipients of the Player of the Week award. Wilkinson combined for two goals and two assists in Mason's two victories. She was involved in all of the Patriots' goals versus UNCW Oct. 22, scoring the first two markers and assisting on the third. Against VCU, Wilkinson assisted on the come-from-behind game-winner with less than eight minutes to go. For the season, she leads Mason in goals (9), assists (6) and points (24), having started 15 of 17 games. Her four game-winning goals is also tops on the team.
It is the first such weekly accolade for Wilkinson in her stellar four-year career at Mason. Although a constant offensive threat in each of her previous three seasons, her only other awards - first-team all-CAA and first-team all-Virginia - were bestowed upon her in her 2001 freshman campaign. For her career, Wilkinson has eight game-winning goals, tying for fifth all-time at Mason. She is fifth all-time with 19 career assists and ranks 8th overall with 71 career points.
It is also the first league honor for Paris, who gives George Mason its second consecutive Rookie of the Week honoree, as freshman Alison Feldman (Oct. 18) nabbed the award last Monday. Paris scored the game-tying and game-winning goals in the second half of the Patriots 3-2 victory over Va. Commonwealth Oct. 24. She found the net off a throw-in to tie the game in the 67th minute and, then converted a shot from eight yards out for the game-winner in the 83rd minute. Paris was also part of a Mason defense that registered its fourth shutout of the year in the 3-0 victory over UNCW.
Paris has been a consistent presence in the Patriots' lineup, starting all 17 games this season. Playing from the backfield, she is tied for second on the team in points (10) and goals (4) and has two assists.
George Mason (8-6-3 overall, 3-2-2 CAA), which is unbeaten in its last five contests (3-0-2), owns a 4-1-2 record at George Mason Stadium this year. The Patriots, who are tied for sixth place in the CAA standings through games played as of Oct. 25, host the final two contests of their regular season and need to win both to clinch a spot in the CAA Tournament.
The Patriots finish out the season against Towson Thursday at 7 p.m. and host Delaware Saturday at 7 p.m. Saturday's contest versus the Fightin' Blue Hens will mark the final home regular season appearance of seniors Sarah Coughlin, Wilkinson, Dianna Russini, Allison Cowan, and Franmarie Gregg.
