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WAC WOMEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS OF THE WEEK ANNOUNCED
UT Rio Grande Valley's Sarah Bonney and Evelyn Powell have been named Western Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for the week of Sept. 19-25.
Bonney, a freshman from Winneba, Ghana (U20 Ghana National Team), exploded for seven goals in two games on the weekend. Against Hampton on Friday, Bonney scored five goals and added two assists, the first 12 points of her career, in the Vaqueros' 11-0 victory. The 12 points are an all-time WAC record and the five goals tied a WAC record, and her point total tied her for 13th in NCAA history. She recorded the first hat trick (three goals), the first haul (four goals) and the first glut (five goals) in UTRGV history. Bonney continued to pour in the goals on Sunday, scoring a brace in UTRGV's 3-1 victory over South Carolina State, opening and closing the scoring in the match. Bonney's weekend vaults her into first in the WAC in goals and points.
Powell, a senior from Abingdon, MD (Harford Community College), anchored a defense that allowed just one goal and six total shots in two matches on the weekend. In the Vaqueros' 11-0 victory over Hampton, Powell keyed a defense that allowed just one shot in the entire match. Against South Carolina State, the UTRGV defense allowed just five shots in the 3-1 win. Powell also chipped in two assists in the win over Hampton. Powell missed the first two matches of season due to illness and in the eight matches since she has returned UTRGV has allowed just two goals.
Other offensive nominees included: CSUB freshman midfielder Sophie Freeman tied a program record for single-game assists with three vs. UC Riverside on Sunday … Grand Canyon sophomore forward McKenzie Cook scored two goals in the Lopes' 2-1 non-conference victory over CSUB … UMKC sophomore forward Kelsey Mothershead recorded a hat trick in a 4-0 victory over Oral Roberts on Sunday … Seattle U senior forward Brie Hooks scored in overtime, her third game-winning goal of the season, in SU's victory over UC Riverside on Thursday.
Other defensive nominees included: GCU junior goalkeeper Blakely Fraasch allowed just one goal in GCU's win over CSUB … UMKC senior defender Niekie Pellens had an assist against Drake and was part of a defense that allowed no shots in a 4-0 victory over Oral Roberts … Seattle U freshman goalkeeper Ashley Routh earned a shutout in a 1-0 overtime victory over UC Riverside.
UTRGV'S Bonney Named NSCAA College Player of the Week
UT Rio Grande Valley freshman forward Sarah Bonney has been named the NSCAA NCAA Division I Women's College Player of the Week for Sept. 19-25, becoming the first player for the Vaqueros to earn the honor.
Bonney launched her collegiate career with a record-breaking week for her UTRGV team, leading them to a two-win week and tallying 16 points for herself. The freshman forward recorded five goals and two assists in UTRGV's 11-0 blanking of Hampton University, setting a new WAC record and becoming only the 30th player in NCAA history to score at least 12 points in a match. She then went on to record two of UTRGV's three goals in their 3-1 defeat of South Carolina State University. Bonney now ranks second in goals in a season, is tied for third in career points and is tied for second in career goals for her program.
Bonney is the third WAC women's soccer player since 2010 to win the award. Seattle U's Stephanie Verdoia (Oct. 7) and Grand Canyon's Blakely Fraasch (Oct. 14) won the award in back-to-back weeks during the 2014 season.
FROM ZERO TO 16 REAL QUICK
UTRGV freshman forward Sarah Bonney's 16-point week (seven goals, two assists) vaulted her up the UTRGV record books. Bonney now ranks second in goals in a season (seven), is tied for third in career points (16) and is tied for second in career goals (seven) in program history. Bonney recorded the first hat trick (three goals), haul (four goals) and glut (five goals) in program history. It was also the most goals by anyone in the NCAA this season and more than UTRGV (7-2-1) had ever previously scored as a team in any single match.
After going scoreless on 16 shots (seven on goal) over the first eight matches, Bonney is now UTRGV's leading scorer with 16 points (seven goals and two assists). She ranks 31st in the NCAA in goals, 39th in goals per match (0.70), tied for 46th in points and tied for 48th in points per match (1.60). She also leads the WAC in points, points per match, goals, and goals per match.
GOING TO NEED SOME NEW CAPS
UTRGV freshman forward Sarah Bonney's five goals on Friday wasn't the only offensive explosion on the weekend, as UMKC sophomore forward Kelsey Mothershead recorded a hat trick in Sunday's 4-0 victory over Oral Roberts. After going almost four weeks without a hat trick before NM State's Aileen Galicia poured in three goals vs. Idaho State, it has now occurred three times in as many weeks for WAC players.
SHOTS FIRED
On the strength of the offensive performance in last weekend's two wins, UTRGV moved to first in the NCAA in shots on goal per game (10.4) and second in shots per game (22).
FILLING THE STAT SHEET
UTRGV has been statistically dominant across the board, ranking in the top 50 of 12 different NCAA team statistical categories.
Scoring Offense UTRGV 11th (2.6)
Total Goals UTRGV 18th (26)
Points Per Game UTRGV 20th (7.2)
Total Points UTRGV 23rd (72)
Assists Per Game UTRGV 30th (2.0)
Total Assists UTRGV 38th (20)
Shots Per Game UTRGV 2nd (22)
Shots On Goal Per Game UTRGV 1st (10.4)
Won-Lost-Tied Percentage UTRGV 41st (750)
Goals Against Average UTRGV 24th (0.586)
Shutout Percentage UTRGV 24th (.600)
Won-Lost-Tied Percentage UTRGV 41st (750)
PROTECT THIS HOUSE
With a 2-1 overtime win vs. Grand Canyon in a non-conference match on Monday, Utah Valley extended its home unbeaten streak to 14 matches. UVU hasn't been defeated at Clyde Field since Nov. 1, 2014, falling 2-0 to Seattle U in the final regular season match of the season. The Wolverines are 12-0-2 in matches played at home during the streak. The Wolverines will put the streak on the line next against CSU Bakersfield as conference play opens on Oct. 7.
NOT SO SUDDEN DEATH
UMKC's 1-1 draw against Creighton on Aug. 21 marks the 17th-straight game that went to overtime for the 'Roos that they have either won or tied. The last time UMKC lost in overtime was a 2-1 loss at Missouri State on Sept. 16, 2011.
COMING TO YOU LIVE
The WAC Digital Network will broadcast 27 regular season matches and all five matches of the 2016 WAC Women's Soccer Tournament in Kansas City, Mo.
The next match on the WDN will be Seattle U hosting Utah Valley on Oct. 1 at 7 p.m. PT.
Tune in to catch the matches live at www.WACSports.com/live.
2016 WAC TOURNAMENT
The WAC Women's Soccer Tournament will be held in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 3-4 and 6, hosted by UMKC. The top six eligible teams will participate (Grand Canyon is ineligible due to its transition from Division II to Division I).
2016 NCAA COLLEGE CUP
The 35th Annual Women's College Cup will be held Dec. 2 and 4 at a location TBD. Last year's WAC champs, the Utah Valley, came up just short in its first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance. The Wolverines lost a hard-fought 1-0 decision to 13th-ranked BYU on Nov. 14 in front of 3,663 fans at South Field.
The loss wrapped up a record-setting and historic season for Utah Valley (14-7-1), which won a school-record 14 matches and won its first-ever WAC Tournament championship.