Five IUP Players Named to All-PSAC West Soccer Team Including Rookie of the Year Lauren Mizik

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 12^th in the nation in goals per game (1.00) and points per game (2.55) while placing 21^st 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 10^th 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.

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