ESPN RISE

Timely goals lead to top honors for Sito Sasieta and Brianna Pletnick.

The following are this week's ESPN RISE National Soccer Players of the Week. Players are recognized for their performances from the previous week (Monday through Sunday).

ESPN RISE Boys' Soccer Player of the Week

Sito Sasieta, Chaminade (St. Louis, Mo.), Senior, Midfielder

Sasieta has a knack for scoring the important goals. Last week, the St. Louis commit scored the only goal off a deflection in Chaminade's 1-0 Metro Catholic Conference victory over Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.). He also had a goal and an assist in a victory over Kickapoo (Springfield, Ill.). Sasieta has eight goals and eight assists through 12 matches.

Finalists

Pat Doody, Neuqua Valley (Naperville, Ill.): Doody shook off illness and scored the match-winning goal as Neuqua Valley claimed the Pepsi Showdown crown. Doody missed the semifinal and was supposed to play only sparingly in the final. However, he found himself scoring the game winner in overtime to keep Neuqua Valley undefeated.

Jeff Stapleton, Reitz Memorial (Evansville, Ind.): Stapleton scored twice as Reitz Memorial pushed its undefeated streak to 59 matches with a 4-1 win over state-ranked Castle (Newburgh, Ind.). A few days later, Reitz Memorial pinned a 4-0 defeat on former FAB 50-ranked Notre Dame (Peoria, Ill.).

ESPN RISE Girls Soccer Player of the Week

Brianna Pletnick, Villa Joseph Marie (Holland, Pa.), Forward

The Virginia Tech commit scored three of the team's four goals over the weekend as ESPN RISE FAB 50-ranked Villa Joseph Marie secured a pair of quality 2-0 wins over Gwynedd-Mercy Academy (Gwynedd Valley, Pa.) and Owen J. Roberts (Pottstown, Pa.). Pletnick scored both goals against Gwynedd-Mercy.

Finalists

Sarah Bridges, Jesuit (Portland, Ore.): Bridges scored two goals and assisted on three others as Jesuit won a pair of easy matches last week.

Lissa Mansfield, John Jay-EK (Hopewell Junction, N.Y.): Mansfield scored three goals in John Jay's 4-1 victory over Holy Name (Parma Heights, Ohio) at the Hall of Fame tournament.

Amy Marron, Westlake (Thornwood, N.Y.): Marron, a St. John's commit, scored twice last week to push her career total to a county record-setting 115 goals. Marron started playing varsity soccer as an eighth-grader, which is allowed in New York.

To submit a Player of the Week nomination, e-mail sheldon.shealer@espn.com. The player of the week is announced each Wednesday and is based on performances from the previous Monday through Sunday.