EDISON, N.J.—Freshman goalie Abigail Shelby (Bellaire, Texas) was named the Co-Defensive Player of the Week in an announcement made by the MAAC on Thursday afternoon. She shared the award with Sophie Appler of La Salle following a week in which Villanova won two games to improve to 4-2 on the season. This is the first career weekly honor for Shelby, who has played every minute of each of the Wildcats six games on the year.
 
Shelby totaled 27 saves and made three steals in her three outings last weekend when Villanova played its second straight home tournament. She recorded 10 saves and a steal in a 14-8 loss to Salem, then came back the next day and produced eight saves with a steal in a narrow 12-10 victory over Gannon. Shelby also stopped nine shots in a 16-4 win over Mount St. Mary's in the final game of the weekend.
 
Through the first six games of her collegiate career, Shelby has amassed 59 saves while posting a .496 save percentage and a 10.00 goals-against average. The last Villanova goalie to earn MAAC weekly honors was Julie Conrath in 2015.
 
With four wins in their first six games, the Wildcats are off to their best start since 2017 and have gone 4-2 to start the season for the fourth time in the program's varsity history. Villanova has also had players recognized by the MAAC in each of the first two weeks of the season, as junior center defender Amanda Rice (Player of the Week) and Stella Byles (Rookie of the Week) were each honored last week.
 
Villanova has an exhibition game against La Salle scheduled for the coming weekend. The team returns to action when it opens MAAC regular season action with a road game at VMI on March 27 at 2 p.m.