Sept. 3, 2007

PROVIDENCE, R.I. - A pair of Villanova women's soccer players have earned recognition from the BIG EAST Conference in the first week of the regular season, it was announced today. Senior defender Kayce Blandford (Columbia, Md.) was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week and goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) received a spot on the league's weekly honor roll.

The Wildcats opened the season with a pair of 3-0 victories over Lafayette and Virginia Commonwealth in their own home tournament. Blandford, the team's right side back and anchor of the defensive line, was instrumental at both ends of the field in the pair of victories. She provided her usual outstanding defense to help the team post two consecutive shutouts and helped the back line allow just five total shots on goal in two games.

Offensively, Blandford led the team with four points for the opening weekend. She had an assist in each game and also scored her first goal of the season in the win over Virginia Commonwealth. Blandford took all 16 of the team's corner kicks in the pair of contests, including three which led to goals. In the game against Lafayette, one of her corner kicks from the right side of the net was headed into the goal for the second tally of the game. Blandford scored a goal of her own from 25 yards out in the win over VCU and assisted on the game's final goal.

Not too many opponent possessions got past the Villanova defense and the Wildcats allowed just three corner kicks in two games, but each of those opportunities met with the same fate. Loyden intercepted all three corner kicks before a shot could be taken and saved all five shots on goal for the weekend. In the process, she broke the school's all-time record for goalie wins and moved within two shutouts of tying the record in that category.

In her fourth season as the starting goalkeeper for Villanova, Loyden increased her victory total to 40 and her shutout count to 27. She broke the wins record of 39 set by Janel Schillig (1998-01) and closed in on the shutout record of 29 set by Chrissy Dolan (2000-03). In posting the pair of shutouts, Loyden improved her career marks for goals-against average (0.71), save percentage (.861) and winning percentage (.698; 40-15-8).

The Wildcats started the season with a pair of shutout wins for the second straight season and fifth time in their history. Villanova is back in action this Friday night at 7 p.m. when it travels to Princeton for the first road game of the season.

NOTES: Blandford has been named the Defensive Player of the Week on one previous occasion, coming on September 26, 2005 ... Loyden was named the BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week or chosen for the honor roll six times last season ... She has been scored on in just six of her last 24 games since the beginning of last season.