SHIPPENSBURG, Pa. -- Shippensburg University freshman defender Juana Caracotche Picone was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC) Field Hockey Athlete of the Week on Tuesday afternoon by the league office.
 
Caracotche Picone played a key role in a pair of Top 10 victories – a 2-1 overtime victory over No. 9 IUP and a 2-0 shutout at No. 6 West Chester.
 
In Wednesday's home victory over IUP, the freshman defender worked a beautiful give-and-go with teammate Elaina Fragassi in the circle, providing the assist for the game-winning goal with 32 seconds remaining in the second overtime period.
 
Caracotche Picone played every second of the two 7-on-7 overtime periods that saw the Raiders weather a pair of yellow cards. SU did not allow a shot or a penalty corner in the second overtime.
 
Saturday at West Chester, Caracotche Picone aided a Raider defense that limited the Golden Rams to zero shots on goal (one shot total) and zero penalty corners. She also fired home SU's second goal from a fourth quarter penalty corner to seal the victory.
 
It is Caracotche Picone's first-ever weekly honor and the first for the Raiders since Liv Schweighart was named PSAC Defensive Athlete of the Week on Sept. 15.
 
She is the first Raider to win Field Hockey Athlete of the Week since current assistant coach Agus Garibaldi won the award on Oct. 29, 2024.