Jan. 20, 2009
VILLANOVA, Pa. - Senior midfielder Erin Hardiman (Galloway, N.J.) and junior goalkeeper Molly Williams (Hinsdale, Ill.) have each earned academic recognition from the NSCAA. Hardiman was named a third team Academic All-America selection and a first team All-East Region honoree, while Williams garnered a spot on the third team all-region squad.
Hardiman was one of just three players from the BIG EAST to be named to one of the All-America teams. She was recognized for her 3.38 GPA as a Communications major at Villanova and has been named a BIG EAST Academic All-Star each of the past two seasons.
On the field, Hardiman became the first Villanova player to be named BIG EAST Midfielder of the Year and set a single-season Wildcat record with her 14 assists during the 2008 season. That total led the BIG EAST Conference and ranked Hardiman fifth in the nation. She also scored four goals to tie for third on the team and led the squad with 22 points.
The Villanova offense averaged better than two goals per game in 2008, and recorded a program best by scoring multiple goals in seven straight games to start the season. Hardiman was the driving force behind the team's offense, registering at least one point in 10 of the 15 games in which Villanova scored a goal.
Overall, Hardiman had a role in 18 of the 39 goals scored by the Wildcats. Five of her 14 assists came on game-winning or game-tying goals. She was the fastest player in school history to reach 10 assists for the year when she tied the previous school record for helpers in a season and had three games in which she registered at least one goal and one assist.
Williams is also a two-time BIG EAST Academic All-Star and this fall was named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area Team. She is enrolled in the renowned Villanova School of Business and had a 3.88 GPA.
In her first season starting in goal, Williams played in 18 games and registered a 1.39 goals-against average and a .747 save percentage. She compiled an 11-6-1 record while posting seven shutouts and making 74 saves against just 25 goals allowed. During the season, Williams was named to the Penn Invitational All-Tournament Team in September and was listed on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on October 13.
Of her seven shutouts for the year, Williams recorded five against BIG EAST opponents to tie for third in the league in shutouts in conference games. She was tied for fifth in shutout percentage and rated ninth in saves during the league-only schedule. In a game against eventual league champion and national runner-up Notre Dame, Williams recorded a career-high 12 saves, the third-highest total by any league goalkeeper this season.
Villanova players have earned numerous academic and athletic awards during the 2008-09 academic year. Last fall, seniors Nicole Coia (Simpsonville, S.C.) and Laura Sylvester (Broomall, Pa.) each were named to the Philadelphia Inquirer Academic All-Area team along with Williams, while Sylvester also received first team CoSIDA/ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District accolades.
