Nov. 3, 2005

Full NEC All-Conference Release

FAIRFIELD, CT (November 3, 2005) - The Sacred Heart women's soccer team placed four players on the All-Northeast Conference teams and freshman Janice Rodriguez (Clinton, CT) was named the NEC Rookie of the Year when the league's postseason awards were announced this afternoon.

Competing for the playoff-bound Pioneers, Rodriguez has helped anchor a stingy Sacred Heart defense that shutout three NEC opponents and permitted only nine goals over the course of the conference season. Rodriguez, who hails from Clinton, CT, was also chosen second team all-NEC.

Junior captain Lisa Burbige (Babylon, NY) was the only Pioneer named to the All-NEC first team. Burbige, earning her first all-conference award, has been one of the key ingredients in the Pioneer attack this season, ranking eighth in the league in scoring (16 points) and tenth in goals (six).

The All-NEC second team featured three Pioneers. Along with Rodriguez, the NEC Rookie of the Year, Sacred Heart senior midfielder Orlagh Cullen (Offaly, Ireland) and senior forward Katie Leahy (Warwick, RI) sparked the Pioneers to their fifth consecutive NEC Tournament appearance, the longest active streak in the league. Cullen makes a return all star engagement after emerging as the top distributor in the conference with 10 assists, including a league-best eight in conference play. After transferring from Arizona State, Leahy made a instant impact in the NEC with seven goals (fifth on the circuit) and 15 points.

The Pioneers will take on Central Connecticut in the semifinal round of the playoffs tomorrow morning, kick-off set for 11 am.