Five IUP players have been named to the Pennsylvania State Athletic
Conference Western Division all-star team for the 2007 season, including
PSAC West Rookie of the Year Lauren Mizik.
Sophomore Sarah Romasco
and senior Brittany Pikur were selected to the first team while Mizik,
senior Janel Paffie and freshman Melissa Kornock were tabbed to the
second team. Romasco and Paffie were also chosen to the Daktronics
All-Northeast Region team, with Romasco on the first team for the second
straight year.
The
selection of Mizik (Irwin/Hempfield) gives IUP back-to-back rookie of
the year winners after Romasco was chosen last season. Previously, no
IUP player had ever received that award.
Mizik played in all 20 games and started 18
times and was an integral part of the IUP defense as well as working in
the midfield pushing the attack. Although she did not score during the
season, Mizik was credited with 23 shots as she constantly put pressure
on the opponent’s defense.
Romasco
(Freedom/Ambridge) was named to the all-conference and all-region first
team for the second time in as many years at IUP and was the PSAC West
Player of the Year as a freshman. This season, Romasco scored 20 goals
and added 11 assists for 51 points, leading the PSAC in all three
categories, while also pacing the Crimson Hawks with four game-winning
goals.
She is currently 12th in the
nation in goals per game (1.00) and points per game (2.55) while placing
21st in assists per game (0.55). Romasco scored a goal in 13
of IUP’s 20 games this season, including a stretch of eight straight
games at one point, and had her fourth career hat trick when she had
three goals in a win over Stonehill.
In only two seasons at IUP, Romasco is third
in the school career record book for goals (41) and points (106) while
ranking fifth with 24 assists. She holds the second and third highest
single season goal and point totals and last year established a single
season record with 13 assists.
Pikur
(Gibsonia/Pine-Richland) is on the all-conference squad for the third
time in her career and second time on the first team. This season, she
scored four goals, was second on the team and tied for third in the PSAC
with seven assists and had a total of 15 points.
Pikur played in 82 of 83 games during her
career, including 60 starts, and is tied for the school record for most
games played. She is also eighth in goals scored (25) and seventh in
assists (15) and points (65). Last November, Pikur had a goal and two
assists in a 3-1 win over New Haven in IUP’s first ever NCAA tournament
victory.
Paffie
(State College/State College) has been honored as one of the top
defenders in the PSAC and Northeast Region in each of the past three
seasons, including three spots on the All-PSAC West first team. She is
tied with Pikur for first place in school history with 82 games played,
including 63 starts.
In her three years as a starter, Paffie has
been assigned to mark the opponent’s top scoring threat and she has
responded by spearheading a defense that has allowed only 85 goals in 60
games during that span, including 15 shutouts.
Kornock
(Hatfield/North Penn) played in all 20 games with 16 starts as a
freshman and was second on the Crimson Hawks with 19 points. She was
tied for second on the team with seven goals and tied for third with
five assists. Kornock was seventh in the PSAC in points and assists and
10th in goals.
Kornock scored a goal in six games this
season and had two goals and an assist in a win over Millersville. She
also contributed a goal and assist in a victory over Mansfield.
IUP finished the 2007 season with a record of
12-8 and was third in the PSAC West with a 6-4 division record. The
Crimson Hawks lost to Edinboro 3-1 in the first round of the conference
playoffs.