Molly Saylor Selected As America East Defensive Player Of The Week

Another week, another honor.

NJIT women's soccer redshirt senior Molly Saylor has been named this week's America East Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday morning. The award is NJIT's second weekly accolade in as many weeks, following Ciara Adams' Offensive Player of the Week award last week. 

Saylor had a week for the record books in helping NJIT earn a pair of shutout draws against quality competition. Saylor made 17 total saves in road games against Seton Hall on August 25 and Drexel on August 28, including a career-high 14 against the Dragons.

In the Drexel match, Saylor eclipsed her career best - 10, done four times in her career, including twice last season - by halftime after making 11 stops, and her final tally of 14 places her in NJIT's top five behind Samantha Bersett (18 against Lipscomb on Oct. 24, 2015; 15 against Utah Valley on Oct. 5, 2012), Bruna Lotufo (15 vs IPFW on Aug. 31, 2006) and Ketsia Mesidor (15 vs Bridgeport on Sept. 17, 1997).

Since joining the America East in July 2020, only one other league player - Vermont's Lydia Kessel (17 saves vs Stony Brook, Apr. 15, 2021) - has made more saves in a game than Saylor and those 14 stops were two shy of the current single game national high, set by CSUN's Taylor Thames and Olivia Mackethan of Saint Peter's (16).

In the Seton Hall match, Saylor only needed to make three saves but those were good enough to contribute to the Highlanders' second straight draw against a Big East opponent after playing St. John's to a 2-2 tie at home on August 21. 

The two shutouts moved Saylor's career total to 17, which currently places her in the Top 30 nationally (T-27th) among active players and extends her NJIT school record.

Saylor's award is the third America East weekly honor of her career, NJIT's fifth Defensive weekly award, and the ninth overall honor for the program since joining the America East in July 2020.

Birte Speck and Jordane Pinette of Maine earned this week's respective Offensive Player and Rookie of the Week honors.

NJIT will return to action and wrap up its current road trip with a contest against Wagner on Wednesday, Aug. 31. Kickoff on Staten Island is scheduled for 7 p.m.