TicketSmarter WAC Women’s Soccer Players of the Week Announced
DENVER – California Baptist's Ari Coronado and UT Rio Grande Valley's Maile Lunardi were selected as the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for Feb. 1 through Feb. 7, respectively.
Coronado, a junior forward from Woodland, Calif., led her squad to an undefeated week behind four total points in the Lancers' two wins. In CBU's win over St. Katherine, Coronado recorded two assists in the first half to jump-start the offense as they went on to win 5-0. She also scored her seventh collegiate goal as she put in the game-winner to lead the Lancers to a big road win over Pacific.
Lunardi, a junior goalkeeper from Highland Park, Ill., posted her second-career shutout as she led the Vaqueros to a pair of road wins. Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, she collected four saves including a huge stop in the 82nd minute that kept the game at a 1-1 tie. She backed up that performance with a career-high six saves and a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Incarnate Word.
Other offensive nominees: Dixie State's Whitley Griffiths knocked in the single Trailblazer goal during their home opener against Gonzaga… Seattle U's Leahi Manthei scored the Redhawks' lone goal in their hard-fought battle against a solid Pac-12 team in Washington State… UT Rio Grande Valley's Anna Frida Groedem tallied her first-career goal in her debut outing as the Vaqueros took down Texas A&M-Corpus Christi… Utah Valley's Sadie Brockbank opened her junior campaign with a two-goal outing in a win over Florida Atlantic on top of managing a perfect 1.000 shot on goal percentage for the week.
Other defensive nominees: California Baptist's Erin Gallagher held down the Lancers' backline in a shutout win over St. Katherine and played a major role in the win over Pacific... Dixie State's Tess Donaldson battled with a strong Gonzaga front line in the Trailblazers' season opener… Utah Valley's Syndey Bushman helped limit UVU opponents to just two goals over two matches while adding a goal of her own against FAU.