KANSAS CITY, Mo. - 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 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.
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.
The NSCAA College Players of the Week are a weekly recognition of the on-field accomplishments of players competing at the intercollegiate level. The NSCAA names one male and one female recipient at all three NCAA levels and the two Junior College levels, selected from nominations submitted by sports information directors.