March 25, 2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Vanderbilt senior Sasha Cielak was named the American Lacrosse Conference’s Player of the Week, as announced by the conference office today. Cielak helped the Commodores to a pair of wins last week, including a 10-7 victory over league rival Penn State.
“I have been saying for four years how dominant Sasha is as a defender,” VU Head Coach Cathy Swezey remarked. “With her performance in our last two games and the honor of earning ALC Player of the Week, I am hopeful that she is only beginning to receive the recognition she deserves. She is truly a game-changing performer.”
The Commodores opened the week with a 15-6 win over Cornell; Cielak notched six ground balls, three draw controls and added two caused turnovers to the effort. She also held her mark to just one goal while playing a critical role in the transition.
In the ALC win over Penn State, Cielak played a crucial role in helping Vanderbilt hold Penn State to only seven goals, including holding an All-American scoreless in the contest. Cielak also picked up three ground balls, a draw control, and one caused turnover.
No. 17 Vanderbilt (7-3, 1-0 ALC) continues conference play this weekend, traveling to face top-ranked Northwestern (7-0) in Evanston, Ill., on Sunday, March 30, at 1 p.m. CT.