PROVIDENCE, R.I.--Freshman forward Heidi Sabatura (Lawrenceville, N.J.) has been named the BIG EAST Rookie of the Week for the third time this season, the conference announced this afternoon. In an undefeated week for Villanova (1-0-1), Sabatura played a part in three of the team's four goals.
The Wildcats started the week with a 3-1 victory over Seton Hall on Friday afternoon. Sabatura netted the first goal of the game less than five minutes into the contest and later closed the scoring with the third Villanova goal in the 24th minute. It was the second multi-goal game of the season for Sabatura, who ranks second on the team with six goals this season.
On Sunday evening, the Wildcats traveled to No. 17 Rutgers for their first game of the season against a nationally-ranked opponent. The contest resulted in a 1-1 draw and Sabatura registered an assist on the Villanova goal in the 25th minute. She played a ball back to teammate Rachel Schuyler (Cheshire, Conn.), who scored just beneath the crossbar to give the Wildcats a 1-0 lead. When the game ended in a 1-1 tie, it extended Villanova's dominance when scoring a game's first goal to 113-1-7 since November, 1999.
Sabatura has played in 10 of the first 11 games for the Wildcats this season and tallied 16 points (six goals, four assists). She is currently tied for third place in the BIG EAST in both goals and assists and is in fourth place in points. Sabatura was also named the league's Rookie of the Week on August 24 and September 8.
Villanova returns to action this coming Friday at 7 p.m. with a road game at Connecticut.
