YOVINO EARNS PLAYER OF WEEK HONOR FROM CAA, BIG APPLE SOCCER

Hempstead, N.Y. - Senior midfielder Tiffany Yovino (Holtsville, N.Y./Sachem East HS) was named the Women's Soccer Player of the Week by both the Colonial Athletic Association and Big Apple Soccer, it was announced today.

Yovino was chosen after her clutch performance on her Senior Day, leading 21st-ranked Hofstra to a 2-1 comeback win over Northeastern on Saturday. After Northeastern took a 1-0 lead in the 78th minute, Yovino responded with the tying goal six minutes later to force the overtime. She then tallied the game-winning goal 46 seconds into the second overtime to give Hofstra the 2-1 win, completing a perfect 11-0 regular season in the CAA for the Pride and extending its school-record winning streak to 17 games.

Hofstra is now 17-1 entering the CAA Tournament, which it hosts this weekend at Hofstra Soccer Stadium, beginning with the semifinals on Friday (James Madison plays George Mason at 4:30, Hofstra takes on Georgia State at 7). The Pride has not lost since a season-opening defeat to Boston College on Aug. 27, shattering the old school record for the longest winning streak (10 games in 2005).

Yovino earned both the CAA Player of the Week (which she shared this week with Omolyn Davis of George Mason) and the Big Apple Soccer Player of the Week for the second time this year. She previously earned the CAA Player of the Week honor on Oct. 18 after scoring three goals in the Pride's weekend road sweep of William & Mary and Old Dominion (including the game-winner against William & Mary with 45 seconds left in regulation). She also earned the Big Apple Soccer award on Oct. 25 after scoring in both of Hofstra's wins over Georgia State and UNC Wilmington, including the game-winner in the first half against UNC Wilmington.

In addition to Hofstra's winning streak, Yovino has also had an impressive streak of her own as she has now scored in eight straight games, with 10 total goals in that span. She started the streak with a goal in a 2-0 win over Delaware on Oct. 3 and scored in every single one of the Pride's games during October (all in conference play). She now leads the CAA with 11 goals on the year, 10 of which have been in conference.

Yovino has also now been a part of more wins than any player in school history (along with fellow senior Kayla Pifer), as this year's senior class has won 56 games in the last four years. As freshmen, Yovino and Pifer helped Hofstra to the single-season win record with 18, and it has now tallied the second-highest win total as seniors with 17. The Pride has also earned the first national ranking in school history (currently No. 21, with a new poll due to be released tomorrow), and is ranked 15th in the latest ratings percentage index (RPI) from the NCAA.

Hofstra has had six different players honored by the CAA for a total of eight awards. Senior forward Salma Tarik (Bellmore, N.Y.) has also won the Player of the Week twice, while junior midfielder Courtney Breen (Hicksville, N.Y.) and sophomore defender Amy Turner (Stocksbridge, England) have won it once. Freshmen Krysti Rodriguez (Ashburn, Va.) and Amber Stobbs (London, England) have each earned the Rookie of the Week honor one time as well.

Big Apple Soccer chooses its award winners from schools in the Metropolitan New York area. Tarik has also won that Player of the Week award twice, and Turner has won it once.