Oct. 12, 1999

EASTON, PA - Freshman goalkeeper Ashley Wesmiller (Pittsburgh, PA/Mt. Lebanon) has been named Patriot League women's soccer Defensive Player of the Week for the week ending Oct. 10.

In just her first season of collegiate action, Wesmiller has been a dominating performer in goal for Lafayette. She currently ranks second in the Patriot League in goaltending with a 1.16 goals against average and an .820 save percentage.

In her most recent outing, Wesmiller recorded her third straight shutout of the season, a 3-0 win at Siena on Oct. 6. That shutout victory tied her for the second most shutouts in a season at Lafayette with three and moved her into another tie for third most career shutouts at Lafayette.

Wesmiller, who has played every minute this season, anchors a youthful Lafayette defense which has allowed just two goals in its last five games.

The Lafayette women's soccer team as a whole has undergone a youth movement which has led second-year coach Wayne Miller's squad to a 5-3-1 record after a 2-15 campaign just a year ago. Nine freshmen and two sophomores have spent time in the starting lineup for the rejuvenated club which has also seen nine different goal scorers eclipse last year's scoring total by 14 points with at least eight games remaining.

The Leopards, who host Niagara today at 3:30 p.m., return to conference action at Lehigh on Saturday at 11 a.m.