TAMPA, Fla. – After helping lead the W-League’s Long Island Rough Riders to the Northeast Division title in 2012, Kim DeCesare has started her collegiate season with a flourish, being named the Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Player of the Week and NSCAA National Player of the Week following an eight-point outburst in a 2-0 weekend for the Blue Devils.

 

DeCesare, who has played the past three seasons with the Rough Riders, tallied a goal in a 4-1 win vs. William & Mary, and followed that up with two goals and two assists in an 8-0 win vs. Elon.

 

DeCesare wasn’t the only W-League standout to start strongly, as Santa Clarita Blue Heat defender Holly Hein was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after leading Michigan to shutout victories against Fordham (5-0) and Pittsburgh (1-0).

 

Fresh off her Bronze Medal with Canada at the 2012 Olympics, Vancouver Whitecaps and Toronto Lady Lynx alum Jonelle Filigno roared into the collegiate season with three goals, including two game-winners, in a 2-0-0 opening weekend for Rutgers. She was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week. Also representing the W-League amongst the BIG EAST honors was Northern Virginia Majestics vet Kelsey Quinn, who earned Goalkeeper of the Week after recording a pair of shutouts in a 1-0-1 week for Villanova.

 

The Santa Clarita Blue Heat swept the honors for the Big West Conference, with standout goalkeeper Cynthia Jacobo, the 2011 W-League Goalkeeper of the Year, named Goalkeeper of the Week after posting shutouts for Cal State Northridge vs. Arizona State and San Diego. Northridge teammate Stephanie Galarze, who suited up for the Blue Heat in 2011, recorded a pair of goals in the two wins.

 

D.C. United Women defender Taylor Brown, a senior at Campbell, was named the Big South Defensive Player of the Week as she anchored a defense that held East Carolina to three shots in a 2-1 upset win for the Camels. The game-winning OT goal in the match was scored by Super-20 League alum Ashley Clarke, who was named MVP of the 2011 Super-20 League North American Finals while leading Triangle FC to the title.

 

Former Cleveland W-League veteran Juliana Libertin earned Atlantic 10 Co-Player of the Week honors after netting three goals and two assists to lead Dayton against the University of Texas and the University of Texas San Antonio.  Goalkeeper Emma Kruse, who manned the net for the Northern Virginia Majestics in 2012, was named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week after starting her first two collegiate games in the net for VCU, picking up her first career win with a 3-0 shutout against Longwood and recording a tie vs. High Point.

 

Melissa Busque, who helped the Ottawa Fury to their first W-League championship last month, was named WAC Offensive Player of the Week after her hat-trick helped Seattle to a 5-1 victory against St. Mary's.

 

Top Drawer Soccer released its Team of the Week for Week 1, including DeCesare, Filigno and 2011 D.C. United Women standout Christine Nairn (Penn State).

 

Other college standouts with W-League pedigrees are shining on a larger stage, as 2012 New Jersey Wildcats star Maya Hayes (Penn State) opened the FIFA U20 Women’s World Cup in Japan with a hat-trick for the U.S. in a 4-0 win vs. Ghana. Adriana Leon, who suited up for the Toronto Lady Lynx in 2012, managed the same feat for Canada in its opening game, hitting the net three times in a 6-0 win vs. Argentina. Shelina Zadorsky (Toronto Lady Lynx), Jaclyn Sawicki (Vancouver Whitecaps) and Catherine Charron-Delage (Laval Comets) also scored for Canada.