PLYMOUTH, N.H.. – Two Plymouth State College soccer players have been honored by the Little East Conference for their performances in leading the highly-ranked PSC soccer teams to perfect weeks.
Senior goalkeeper Magnus Karlsson (Vasteras, Sweden) was selected LEC Men’s Soccer Player of the Week after leading the Panther men to a pair of conference victories, and sophomore sweeper Jackie Blanchard (Plymouth , MA) was named to the LEC Women’s Weekly Honor Roll after helping the Panther women to three consecutive shutout wins.
Karlsson, a team captain and two-time all-conference pick, led PSC last week to wins over Southern Maine and UMass Boston with 150 minutes of shutout play. He held USM scoreless for 60 minutes before being relieved, then blanked UMB with eight saves for his 23rd career shutout. Karlsson leads the conference with a 0.68 goals against average and eight shutouts.
The Panther men, 11-2-1 overall, have won five straight and gone 8-0-1 in the last nine games, moving up to the #2 spot in the Division III New England rankings and #15 in the Division III National rankings. PSC, 6-0 in the Little East, has clinched at least a share of its second straight conference title, and can win it outright with a win this Saturday (Nov. 1) at Panther Field against Eastern Connecticut (11:00 a.m.).
Blanchard helped patrol the Panther women’s defensive unit, limiting Southern Maine, Curry and UMass Boston to a combined nine shots on goal as PSC won all three games by shutout. Blanchard, who added an assist in the 3-0 win over Curry, has been instrumental in leading a defense that has allowed only 10 goals in 15 games.
The PSC women, 13-2-0 overall, remain No. 9 in the Women’s Division III National rankings and No. 1 in the Division III New England poll. The Panthers wrap up the regular season with two games this week — Wednesday at home against Green Mountain (3:00 p.m.) and Saturday at Eastern Connecticut (1:00 p.m.).
Temperature: 54; Wind: N at 2; Conditions as of Tue May 21 at 04:00 AM EDT