Dec. 16, 2007

VILLANOVA, Pa. - Senior goalkeeper Jillian Loyden (Vineland, N.J.) and sophomore defender Kelly Eagan (St. James, N.Y.) have each earned second team NSCAA All-Mid Atlantic Region honors, it was announced late last week. Loyden becomes only the second player in program history to be a four-time All-Region selection.

Loyden and Eagan were the key figures of a defensive unit that led the entire nation this season in both shutout percentage and save percentage. Villanova posted a winning record with at least 10 victories for the ninth consecutive season and advanced to the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Championship before falling to eventual conference champion West Virginia.

In her final season in goal for the Wildcats, Loyden consistently showed the form that made her a first team All-America selection a year ago. She played more than 1,900 minutes in goal and recorded a 0.52 goals-against average and .891 save percentage. She finished the season ranked fourth in the country in save percentage and 10th in goals-against average. Loyden posted 12 solo shutouts in 19 starts and during the season broke school career records for shutouts, victories and minutes played. She earned a piece of NCAA history in her final game, moving into the top-10 in NCAA Division I history with over 7,500 career minutes in goal.

After an outstanding freshman season and an invitation to try out for the U-20 National Team, Eagan emerged as a dominant force on the Villanova back line. She started all 21 team games and helped the defense allow an average of just 5.1 shots on goal per contest. The Wildcats tied a team record set the year before by allowing just 11 goals all season long. Villanova registered 14 shutouts in 21 games and outscored its opposition by a 33-11 tally. On the offensive end, Eagan scored a pair of game-winning goals in victories over Virginia Commonwealth and Georgetown. All four of her career goals have been game-winners, including three that came after halftime in 1-0 victories.

With the announcement of this year's selections, the Wildcats have now had multiple players named to the All-Mid Atlantic region team in each of the last seven years. Eagan is the first player since Loyden to earn All-Region honors in each of her first two seasons on the team. Loyden joins only two-time All-American defender Michelle Biehl (2001-04) as a four-time All-Region honoree.

NOTES: Loyden finished her incredible collegiate career with a 0.68 goals-against average, 37 shutouts and 48 victories in 7,542 minutes played in 82 games ... She had more career games in which she did not allow a goal than games in which she did ... Over the past two seasons Villanova has outscored its opposition 72-22 while posting 29 shutouts in 43 games, and produced a combined record of 27-8-8.