Williamsburg, KY – For the third straight week a Patriot defender has been rewarded for their great play as Nick DiFranco has been named the AAC Defensive Player of the Week. It marks the first time this season that DiFranco received this recognition.

The reigning AAC Player of the Year tallied a team-high ten ground balls and recorded five caused turnovers in the Patriots lone game against top-ranked Madonna. In addition to those stats, DiFranco played a major part of the Patriots faceoff coming off the wings and was a critical part of UC's defense that held top-ranked Madonna well below their season-average of 17 goals per game.

On the season, DiFranco leads Cumberlands with 22 caused turnovers and 56 ground balls to go along with a pair of goals. His 22 caused turnovers leads the NAIA, while he his ranked fourth with 56 ground balls. 

The Patriots return to the field Tuesday, March 26, when they travel to Athens, TN to face Tennessee Wesleyan in an AAC showdown.  The game is slated for 3 p.m. with live video available here.

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