Nikki Krzysik Named ACC Defensive Player of the Year
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CHARLOTTESVILLE Virginia senior defender Nikki Krzysik was named the 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and five Cavaliers earned All-ACC honors as the conference announced its women’s soccer honors on Tuesday.
“Our entire program is extremely proud of the players who earned 2008 All-ACC honors, especially Nikki’s distinction as the Defensive Player of the Year,” said head coach Steve Swanson. “To have as many players as we had represented on both squads is a tribute to every member of our team and how hard they all have worked throughout the regular season. We are looking forward to the ACC tournament this week.”
Krzysik becomes the third Cavalier to be named ACC Defensive Player of the Year since the league split the player of the year award into an offensive and defensive honor in 2004. Sarah Huffman was the inaugural Defensive Player of the Year in 2004 and Becky Sauerbrunn took the honor last season.
This season she has played every minute to anchor a Cavalier defense that has posted eight shutouts and allowed just 5.1 shots per game. Offensively, she is fourth on the team in scoring with three goals and three assists for nine points.
Krzysik was one of two Cavaliers to be named first-team All-ACC, joined by sophomore midfielder Sinead Farrelly (Havertown, Pa.). Both are repeat selections to the first-team. This year, Farrelly has started all 18 games for Virginia and has posted three goals and two assists.
Three Cavaliers, freshman forward Lauren Alwine (Elizabethtown, Pa.), sophomore forward Meghan Lenczyk (McLean, Va.), and senior defender Alex Singer (Rye, N.Y.), were named to the second team. Alwine, who was also named to the ACC All-Freshman team, is leading the ACC with 13 assists this season along with scoring four goals. Lenczyk leads the Cavaliers in scoring with 11 goals and 23 points. Singer has started all 18 games on defense for Virginia and has one assist this season.
The Cavaliers’ five All-ACC selections were second in the league, one behind the six players selected for regular season champion North Carolina.
Virginia travels to Cary, N.C., this week for the 2008 ACC Tournament. The Cavaliers play Wake Forest in a quarterfinal game Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. at WakeMed Soccer Park. The game will be broadcast online by ACC Select.