Oct. 31, 2005
Offensive Player of the Week
Kiersten Wood, Penn State
So., M, Lititz, Pa./Warwick
Wood was named Offensive Player of the Week after leading Penn State to its 17th-straight victory, an outright Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament. With Penn State down 3-2 against No. 9 Indiana, Wood made a perfect pass to teammate Annelise Legel, who slapped in the shot to push the game into overtime. In the extra period, Wood won the game with a goal in the 75th minute to give the Nittany Lions its fourth Big Ten Championship in program history while also closing out the season with a perfect 6-0 mark in league play. Against No. 4 North Carolina on Sunday, Wood also tallied a goal to extend the contest into overtime, however the Tarheels came out on top with a 3-2 victory.
Defensive Player of the Week
Christina Kirkaldy, Michigan State
Sr., GK, Afton, N.Y./Afton Central
Kirkaldy guided the Michigan State defense to a 3-2 upset over No. 8 Ohio State, stopping a total of eight shots on the day to earn Defensive Player of the Week honors. On Sunday against Ohio, she faced four shots and made one save to give the Spartans a 2-1 victory over the Bobcats. Kirkaldy ranks fourth in the league with a goal against average of 1.55 and a save percentage of .744.
