Nov. 3, 2005
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Junior goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) earned due reward for an outstanding season in the net and was named the 2005 BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Year on Thursday evening at the conference's annual awards banquet. Loyden's performance this season also earned her a spot on the All-BIG EAST first team. In addition, senior defender Laura Koch (Blackwood, N.J.) was named a second team All-BIG EAST performer.
"It is a terrific honor for Jillian to win one of the major conference awards," Villanova head coach Ann Clifton said. "She sets herself apart with an incredible work ethic and quest for perfection and I think that she will view this award as a stepping stone to leaving a strong legacy at Villanova.
Laura Koch has been a mainstay on our back line for four years and we have developed into the program that we are today because she has led us there. When you consider the outstanding players and teams in the BIG EAST, it is an incredible honor for Laura to be chosen as a second team all-conference player."
Loyden and Koch keyed the Wildcats typically strong defensive unit this season and have helped the squad to a 10-5-4 overall record to this point in the season. Loyden ranks statistically among the top goalies in the conference and as one of the best keepers in school history, but Clifton cites the intangible aspects of her play as one of the reasons that she earned a major conference award.
"Jillian has developed into quite a leader from the back and she is the consummate team player," Clifton said. "She is always the last player to leave practice and is constantly picking up details about different things related to the game. She is never satisfied, and her desire to be great separates her from the pack."
Although one of Loyden's strongest points is the consistent high level of play she showcases in goal, she has stepped up her play against league opponents. This season she posted four shutouts in 10 conference games, ranking second in shutouts and third in shutout percentage in the league. In those 10 games, Loyden posted a 0.94 goals-against average and ranked third in the league with an .831 save percentage. She had a ratio of 49 saves with just 10 goals allowed and for the second straight season played every minute of each conference game. On September 26 she earned mention on the weekly BIG EAST honor roll after posting a pair of solo shutouts in back-to-back 1-0 victories over Seton Hall and Rutgers.
"The presence and ability to step up in big games are things that Jillian has developed over the past two years," Clifton said. "She wants the challenge of performing in big situations and then she goes out and thrives on those occasions."
Prior to the beginning of the season, Clifton referred to Loyden as "the latest in a long line of great Villanova goalkeepers." Loyden has demonstrated how true those words are. Her six conference victories matched the total posted by Jeanne Hennessy in 1997 for the most in a single-season by a Wildcat goalie. Overall, her 11 career BIG EAST wins are tied with Hennessy for the second most in school history. Loyden is only the second Villanova goalie ever to earn conference Goalkeeper of the Year honors, following in the footsteps of Janel Schillig, who won the award in 1999. She is also just the fifth different Wildcat to be a first team all-league selection. Loyden earned all-conference honors for the second straight season after being a third team pick in 2004.
This season, Loyden has started 18 of 19 games and played 1657:07 in the net. She has made 85 saves and sports an .810 save percentage along with a 1.09 goals-against average. Her individual record on the year is 8-5-4, including six solo shutouts and one combined effort.
"When a player wins a major award, we see it as a team award," Clifton said. "We think that over the past several years we have stood out defensively among the other conference teams. Jillian has been a big part of that and on her own has also developed into a big-name player. Individual honors are outstanding, but the first thing Jillian did today was thank her teammates for helping her win this award. A gesture like that perfectly sums up Jillian and the type of person she is."
Koch has been a four-year starter for Villanova but her play this season has reached a new level. As the central defender in the middle of the back line, she has helped limit opposing teams to just 12.5 shots per game. The Wildcats have posted seven shutouts on the season and were tied for third in the BIG EAST in fewest goals allowed in conference games. The team also ranked fifth in goals-against average against league opponents and was tied for fourth in shutouts. Koch has also excelled in the transition game for Villanova and become a dangerous offensive player. She scored her first career goal against West Virginia last Sunday in the quarterfinals of the Big East Championship and also has three assists on the season.
"We pride ourselves on being a very strong defensive-minded team," Clifton said. "To have both of our all-conference selections be defensive players justifies and rewards a lot of the hard work that the defense has put in day-in and day-out during the season."
Koch earned all-conference accolades for the second straight season after being a third team selection a year ago. She has also been an NSCAA All-Mid Atlantic Region choice in each of the past two seasons, including receiving first team honors in 2004. In her career, Koch has started 74 of 86 games and has totals of one goal and six assists for eight points. Villanova has posted shutouts in 44 of her 86 career games and has an overall mark of 53-19-15 (.695) since she joined the program.
The strong play of Loyden and Koch this season tells a familiar tale for the Wildcats, who are currently awaiting word on whether they will receive an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. So far this season, Villanova has posted seven shutouts, run off a nine-game unbeaten streak and was the last of 16 BIG EAST teams to lose a conference game. The Wildcats were one of five conference teams with two or fewer losses in conference play, with the other four all having top-20 national rankings. The team's 6-1-3 record in league games match the most wins and fewest losses that Villanova has produced in 11 years of regular season conference play. On the non-conference slate the Wildcats feature a win against Maryland and a tie against Arizona State, teams that are members of the top two conferences in the country (ACC and Pacific 10), respectively.
NOTES: The four other Villanova players who have been chosen as first team all-conference players are Laura Johnson (2002, 2004), Janel Schilling (1999), Maura McGhee (1996, 1997) and Allison Maue (1995) ... The 64-team field for the NCAA Tournament will be announced on Monday, November 7 between 5:00 and 5:30 p.m. ... The selections will be aired live on ESPN News during that time and will also be available online at both the NCAA website and the Villanova website (http://www.ncaasports.com and http://www.villanova.com) immediately following the broadcast ... Villanova has played in the NCAA Tournament in each of the past four years and has been an at-large bid in three of those seasons.
