This Week in WAC Women's Soccer - Nov. 5
This Week in WAC Women's Soccer - Nov. 5
NM STATE'S KIZER AND CSUB'S NEVES NAMED PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
NM State's Corey Kizer and CSU Bakersfield's Andrea Neves were selected as the Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for Oct. 28-Nov. 4, respectively.
Kizer, a sophomore forward from Placitas, N.M., led the Aggies to a win behind her brace against UT Rio Grande Valley. Kizer knocked in her fourth and fifth goals of the season in the 3-1 victory over the Vaqueros. This marks the first time in Kizer's career in which she recorded a multi-goal game. The performance came in a must-win game as the Aggies were still in contention for a spot in the WAC tournament at the time of the match.
Neves, a junior goalkeeper from Germany, snagged six saves as she picked up her third clean sheet of the season. Five of Neves' six saves came in the second half as GCU looked to erase the early 1-0 deficit. The impressive performance could not have come at a better time as the Roadrunners needed to win or tie in order to qualify for the WAC tournament. The victory kept the season alive and granted the 'Runners the No. 4 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Other offensive nominees: CSU Bakersfield's Eszter Toth netted the game-winner against Grand Canyon and finished the season with a team-high 14 points... Grand Canyon's Camryn Larson led the Lopes with three shots and one on goal as GCU hosted CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 2... Rylan Childers of Kansas City recorded a goal and two assists in the 'Roos 5-1 victory over Chicago State... Seattle U's Paige Malm netted the game-winner in double overtime as the Redhawks picked up the win and secured the WAC regular-season title.
Other defensive nominees: Grand Canyon's Perri Belzer involved herself in the offensive attack, recording three shots for the Lopes... Erin Roth of Kansas City notched two saves and her fourth straight win as the 'Roos went on to defeat Chicago State 5-1 in the final game of the season... NM State's Lece Aviles helped hold offensive standout Sarah Bonney without a shot on goal as the Aggies defeated UT Rio Grande Valley in Edinburg, Texas.
BY THE NUMBERS
Heading into the postseason California Baptist leads the league in shots taken (341). The lead for goals scored is a tie with both CBU and Utah Valley recording 36 goals. Seattle U and Utah Valley sit atop the conference in total points with 102 apiece. The Redhawks of Seattle U pace the league in total assists (32). Chicago State leads the league in saves (162). With the regular season concluded, Kansas City has allowed the fewest goals (15). The 'Roos also lead the league in goals-against average (.750).
Individually, California Baptist's Rola Badawiya finished as the leagues top goal scorer with 11. Kansas City's Rylan Childers and Jessie Ray of Seattle U each have nine assists to lead the conference in that category. KC's Childers also paces the league in points with 29. The Lancers' Badawiya leads the conference in game-winners (5). Judith Sorribes of Chicago State is the league leader in saves (150). Of goalies that have played in one-third of their team's minutes, California Baptist's Romy Salvador holds the best goals-against average (0.65) and save percentage (.824). Erin Roth of Kansas City leads the league in clean sheets as she finished the regular season with seven shutouts.
HERE WE GO
The regular season is officially in the books and we are on the doorstep of the conference tournament. Host Seattle U claimed the top seed and are coming off an exciting win over Utah Valley in the season finale. The Redhawks received a first-round bye and will await the winner of the CSU Bakersfield, UT Rio Grande Valley matchup.
On the other side of the bracket, Utah Valley is slotted in as the No. 2 seed. The Wolverines will see the winner of the Kansas City, Grand Canyon matchup. Kansas City enters the tournament as the hottest team, winning four in a row. After fighting for a spot, CSU Bakersfield went from possibly being eliminated to claiming the No. 4 spot in this year's WAC tournament.
KC'S SMALL NAMED SENIOR CLASS AWARD® CANDIDATE
Kansas City senior defender Abby Small has been selected as one of 30 women's candidates for the Senior CLASS Award®. The total list of candidates is comprised of 60 NCAA men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field.
To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition.
Small, a two-time Academic All-WAC selection, was selected to the United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-Region second team in 2018. As an electrical and computer engineering major, Small currently has a 3.64 cumulative GPA.
Small exemplifies leadership on and off the field as one of the SAAC (Student-Athlete Advisory Committee) and SALC (Student-Athlete Leadership Council) leaders and representatives for Kansas City. Through SALC, Small volunteers with Children's Mercy Hospital and donates to the Greater KC Boys & Girls Club.
Academically, Small is a member of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), a member of SWE (Society of Women Engineers) and a member of Engineers without Borders.
Starting 67 of a possible 68 games in which she has played, Small has proved to be an anchor on the Roos strong defense. A two-time All-WAC First Team selection, Small was named the Preseason WAC Defensive Player of the Year for the second year in a row. She is a part of a Kansas City team that is coming off its second consecutive WAC regular-season title. At the time of nomination, Small and the Kansas City defense was ranked 44th in the nation in goals-against average (.547).
An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School®, the Senior CLASS Award focuses on the total student-athlete and encourages students to use their platform in athletics to make a positive impact as leaders in their communities.
The group of 30 candidates will be narrowed to 10 finalists midway through the regular season. Those 10 finalists will be placed on an official ballot that is distributed through a nationwide voting system. One female candidate who best exemplifies excellence in the four C's of community, classroom, character and competition will be selected.
The Senior CLASS Award winners will be announced during the 2019 NCAA Women's College Cup® championships in December.