Bernier Garners National and Conference Weekly Accolades
9/27/2010 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 27, 2010
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Alabama junior goalkeeper Justine Bernier (Oakville, Ontario, Canada) was rewarded for her stellar play this last weekend. Bernier was named to the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week and the Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Week. The honors are a first for the Crimson Tide this season.
The defensive player of the week honor is the third for the junior net-minder in her career and the national accolade is a career first and the first for the Crimson Tide since Kara Gudmens nabbed the honor in 2006. Bernier was the only member of a SEC institution to earn the accolade this week and just the sixth this season.
"We are certainly proud of Justine and are pleased with her current form, especially after she came back from national team duty," Alabama head coach Todd Bramble said. "While she is capable of keeping us in games singlehandedly, she is doing more right now by making us a better defensive team through her communication and organization."
Bernier returned from Team Canada training camp in exceptional form, leading the Crimson Tide to six points with wins over Mississippi and Mississippi State to start off league play this past weekend. The opening weekend sweep was the first for the Tide since 1995.
Bernier has recorded three straight clean sheets since her return, including two this past weekend to become the all-time shutout record holder at Alabama with 13. Over the weekend, Bernier tallied 17 saves, including nine against a Mississippi squad that Alabama had not beaten since 2004.
On Sunday, Bernier tallied eight saves to lead the Tide to its third straight victory over the Bulldogs. On the season, the junior net-minder sports a microscopic 0.20 goals against average and a perfect 5-0 record on the strength of four shutouts and 31 saves. She is just nine saves away from equaling the Alabama career saves record of 301, held by former Tide great Amy Pseja.
