CENTER VALLEY, Pa. - For the fourth consecutive week the Navy women's soccer team has had one of its own recognized as a Patriot League Defensive Player of the Week. In Monday's announcement, freshman Kaitlynn Johns (Austin, Texas) was honored for her efforts in the Mids' 2-0 week. Johns' award makes it four straight weeks with four different Navy players earning defensive accolades from the league.

The freshman defender played a key role in the Mids increasing their winning streak to eight straight games with back-to-back shutouts over Howard and Colgate last week. Johns played 129 combined minutes on defense, including 78 at Colgate in the Mids' 1-0 victory on Saturday night. In the first Patriot League game of her young career, Johns started Navy's goal-scoring sequence with a cross from the left wing into the box for Kristina Dzhandzhapanyan's marker. The assist was the first of Johns' collegiate career. Later in that same game, she single-handedly preserved the Mids' one-goal lead in the 72nd minutes as she made a "team save" and deflected a Colgate shot away off the goal line.

This is the first weekly award for Johns and the sixth combined honor for the Navy program this season. In previous weeks, five separate players have garnered awards from the Patriot League: Cadie Higginson (Midfielder, 9/2), Sydney Fortson (Goalie, 9/2), Denisse Ramirez (Defensive, 9/2), Avery Fries (Defensive, 9/9) and Alex Jackson (Defensive, 9/16).

Johns and her Midshipmen teammates will next be in action this Friday night at Army. The 2019 Star Match between the Mids (9-1, 1-0 Patriot League) and Black Knights (3-3-3, 0-0-1 PL) is set for 7 p.m. at Clinton Field on the Army West Point campus.