St. John's University Athletics
Tara Mendoza Named BIG EAST Defensive Player Of The Week
9/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 14, 2009
QUEENS, N.Y. - St. John's women's soccer player Tara Mendoza has been named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the organization on Monday.
Mendoza helped lead the Red Storm to a pair of victories over LIU and then-No. 12/25 Indiana this past weekend. With the wins, St. John's returned to the Top 25, receiving a No. 18 ranking from Soccer America on Monday.
A senior defender, Mendoza played all 90 minutes of regulation on Friday and helped the Red Storm shut out LIU, 1-0, to end the Blackbirds' perfect mark on the year. The shutout was the third of the season for St. John's.
On Sunday, the Valley Stream, N.Y., native saw action in all 90 minutes against then-No. 12/25 Indiana and helped hold the potent Hoosier offense to only one goal as the Red Storm came from behind to win the contest, 2-1. Mendoza helped spark the comeback, as she assisted on the game-tying goal to register her first assist of the season.
The Red Storm (5-1) will look to continue its winning streak on Friday at 5 p.m. when it opens BIG EAST action at Belson Stadium with Syracuse. The game is a doubleheader with the STJ men's team, who hosts Georgetown at 8 p.m.
