Nov. 8, 2007

Official BIG EAST Release

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.-- Senior goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) is the first player in conference history to be a three-time BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year and sophomore defender Kelly Eagan (St. James, N.Y.) joins her on the All-BIG EAST first team, it was announced this evening at the Lakeview Resort at the annual BIG EAST Conference postseason banquet.

For the third straight season the head coaches around the league recognized Loyden as the top goalkeeper, making her the first ever at her position to win the award three times. Loyden is a Hermann Trophy candidate this season and helped lead the Wildcats to a winning record and at least 10 victories for the ninth consecutive season.

Loyden is noticeable on the field for her command of the entire back line of defense as well as off the field for her unmatched work ethic. Meanwhile, her actual goalkeeping statistics are eye-popping, both this season and throughout her four-year career. In 2007, Loyden posted 12 solo shutouts and ranked among the best in the nation at her position with a 0.52 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. She set new school career records during the season for victories (48), shutouts (37) and minutes played (7,542:04).

During the 2007 season Villanova tied a program record set last season by allowing a mere 11 goals the entire year, the lowest goals-against total in the team's 25 years as a varsity sport. Since the beginning of the 2006 campaign, Loyden has posted more solo shutouts (23) than she has allowed goals (21), leading the Wildcats to a 27-8-8 record in that span.

Throughout her four years as the team's goalkeeper Loyden has been as consistent as she has been good. She has surpassed 1,900 minutes in a season three times and her career total of 7,542:04 in the net ranks 10th all-time in NCAA Division I history. Loyden also leads all active BIG EAST goalkeepers and ranks second in conference history with 37 career shutouts.

Villanova is traditionally one of the elite defensive teams in the entire nation thanks to a long line of both great goalkeepers and standout defensive players. One of the current members in that line is Eagan, who is a first team All-BIG EAST selection for the second straight year. A season after becoming the first freshman in team history to earn first team all-league honors, she produced an even better season as the starting central defender for the Wildcats.

Eagan was the leader of a back four that permitted opponents just 5.1 shots on goal per game in 21 contests. Villanova outscored its opposition by a 33-11 margin and currently is tied for the national lead with 14 shutouts. Eagan often drew the difficult task of marking opposing teams' top offensive players, and it was rare for any opponent to bring a ball into the attacking third without Eagan eventually getting a touch on it.

Kelly Eagan earned All-BIG EAST first team honors for the second straight year and is an All-America candidate for the Wildcats.

Leading the back four defenders was just one of the many ways that Eagan was asked to contribute to the team on the field. She was also involved in virtually every offensive set piece the team ran all season long and was particularly dangerous in front of the goal on free kicks and corners. Eagan notched two goals on the season and both tallies were the game-winners in triumphs over Virginia Commonwealth and Georgetown. She has had a knack for timing in her first two collegiate seasons, as all four of Eagan's career goals have been game-winners, including three that came in the second half of 1-0 victories.

Only Notre Dame and West Virginia, the respective top seeds in the BIG EAST National and American divisions, joined Villanova with multiple players earning first team accolades. This is only the second time that the Wildcats have ever had two players earn first team honors in the same year, as Loyden and Eagan each did so in 2006.

The other major awards announced on Thursday evening included Co-Offensive Players of the Year (Ashley Banks, West Virginia and Brittany Bock, Notre Dame), Midfielder of the Year (Megan Schnur, Connecticut), Defensive Player of the Year (Brittany Taylor, Connecticut), Rookie of the Year (Ingrid Wells, Georgetown) and Coach of the Year (Dave Nolan, Georgetown).

The other members of the All-BIG EAST first team Greer Barnes and Amanda Cicchini (West Virginia), Monique Gjini (Louisville) and Kerri Hanks (Notre Dame).

NOTES: In addition to being a national player of the year candidate, Loyden is a candidate to receive All-America honors for the second straight season ... In 2006 she was the first player in team history to earn first team All-America accolades ... Eagan was a finalist for the Soccer Buzz Magazine Freshman of the Year award last season and is another strong All-America candidate for the Wildcats ... Only one other player aside from Loyden has ever been even a two-time league Goalkeeper of the Year ... After a redshirt season as a true freshman in 2003, Loyden has played all but two games in goal for Villanova over the past four seasons ... Her career marks in 82 games include a 0.68 goals-against average and .867 save percentage.