Edison, NJ – For the second consecutive week, Manhattan women's lacrosse goalkeeper
Nikki Prestiano (Yorktown Heights, NY / Yorktown) was named the MAAC Defensive Player of the Week, while freshman
Cassidy Burns was tabbed the MAAC Rookie of the Week, the conference announced Monday.
The award is Prestiano's fifth weekly honor in her career and the first time she has won it multiple times in a season. In the first four weeks of the 2019 campaign, the tri-captain paces the conference in defensive awards.
As for Burns, she captures her first-career award and is the second straight Jasper selected as the league's top rookie, with classmate
Grace Lipponer (Lake Grove, NY / Sachem North) receiving recognition last week.
Interestingly enough, Prestiano recorded the same amount of saves (19) and goals allowed (14), as well as an identical save-percentage (.576) and goals-against average (7.00), as her award-winning performance last week. The senior made 11 stops in Manhattan's 9-7 victory over LIU Brooklyn on Wednesday, February 27. For an encore performance, she denied Lafayette's attack eight times and caused a turnover to take down the unbeaten Leopards 9-7 on Saturday, March 2.
On the year, Prestiano leads the MAAC and, as of Sunday, March 3, is fourth in the nation with a .576 save-percentage. Her 7.00 goals-against average is 6th amongst Division I goalkeepers and tops in the conference.
Burns helped power the Jaspers' win over the Leopards with two goals and four assists, the latter of which is tied for second-most in a game for a MAAC player this season. She also contributed three ground balls and a draw control in the effort.
Through the first four games of 2019, Burns leads the Jaspers with those four assists and is third on the team with seven points and four draw controls.
Manhattan returns to the field on Wednesday, March 6, when they face Central Connecticut State in New Britain, CT at 2:00 pm.
