Pepe and Dyrek garner PL weekly awards
10/18/2010 8:26:00 PM | Women's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Lehigh women's soccer junior Genna Pepe has been named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week while freshman Paige Dyrek has earned Rookie of the Week, as announced on Monday. Pepe and Dyrek become the eighth and ninth different Mountain Hawk players to garner a weekly award this season.
The duo each played a key role in Saturday's 3-0 win over Holy Cross. Pepe scored her first goal of the season to break a scoreless tie while Dyrek added a key insurance tally late in the first half. With only three league games remaining, Lehigh is tied for first with Bucknell, but has the inside track to host the Patriot League Tournament due to its 2-1 win over the Bison on Oct. 10.
Pepe and Dyrek join seniors Lauren Mains (goalkeeper), Liz Carlos (offensive), Glynn Fitzer (offensive) and Natalie Hojnacki (offensive), juniors Jana Basubas (defensive) and Leah Kulp (defensive), and freshman Murphee Greeley (rookie) as winners of weekly awards this season.
A starting defender, Pepe enjoyed a strong all-around week, having a hand in two of Lehigh's three goals against Holy Cross while spearheading a dominant defensive effort. She scored her first goal of the season off a free kick at 21:19 to give the Mountain Hawks a 1-0 lead. The free kick came from approximately 30 yards out and was shot perfectly under the crossbar. It proved to be the game-winner, serving as the turning point as Lehigh cruised from that point forward.
Later in the second half, she set up Carlos with a nifty pass from around mid-field to give Lehigh a 3-0 advantage. Pepe became the 12th different Mountain Hawks' player to score a goal this season and seventh different to record a game-winner.
Pepe has also helped anchor a defense which has only allowed eight goals in its last 10 games. In each of those 10 games, Lehigh has allowed no more than a single tally. On Wednesday, the Mountain Hawks shut-out regionally-ranked Princeton until the 86th minute, then earned the shutout against Holy Cross on Saturday. In the process, they allowed only eight shots against the Crusaders, three coming in the second half.
Dyrek scored her second goal of the season on Saturday to give Lehigh a 2-0 advantage. She finished a highlight-reel sequence, taking a nifty pass from Fitzer across the box and redirecting it into the open net. The goal came at 42:10 and changed the complexion of the game heading into halftime.
Pepe becomes the Mountain Hawks' third defensive player of the week while Dyrek is Lehigh's second to win rookie laurels.
The Mountain Hawks close out the regular season with four straight road games beginning with a pair at Navy (Friday) and American (Sunday) this weekend.
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Soccer
Thursday, September 04
2025 Women's Soccer Season Preview
Tuesday, August 12
Women's Soccer vs. Navy
Friday, September 20
Lehigh Sports Central: Women's Soccer
Wednesday, September 11
