TicketSmarter WAC Women’s Soccer Players of the Week Announced
DENVER – California Baptist's Rola Badawiya and NM State's Makenna Gottschalk were selected as the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week for March 1 through March 7, respectively.
Badawiya, a senior forward from Riverside, California, turned in a pair of monster performances last week as the Lancers went on to sweep Chicago State. On Thursday, Badawiya recorded a brace with her first goal coming just four minutes after kickoff. She added to her goal total again on Saturday as she tallied a hat trick and scored what proved to be the game-winner in the fifth minute against the Cougars. On the season, Badawiya leads the conference in both goals (5) and points (12).
Gottschalk, a junior from Broomfield, Colo., helped carry the Aggies to a 2-1 road victory over Grand Canyon behind a season-high 11 saves. Gottschalk allowed just one goal on 14 shots from the Lopes in the second half to help NM State match its conference win total from a year ago just five matches into the season.
Other offensive nominees: Seattle U's Ava Benedetti led the Redhawks to a road sweep of Dixie State as she notched the game-winner in both matches, including an overtime goal on Thursday… UT Rio Grande Valley's Kryssie Rivera recorded her first career goal as she scored the Vaqueros' lone goal against Utah Valley on Thursday… Utah Valley's Nicole Ray recorded her first two collegiate goals last week as she notched the game-winner during the Wolverines' sweep of UT Rio Grande Valley.
Other defensive nominees: California Baptist's Romy Salvador recorded her third and fourth shutouts of the season as she held Chicago State scoreless over two games… Dixie State's Hollee Herick tallied 13 saves as the Trailblazers battled with Seattle U in a pair of home matches… Seattle U's Michele Adam anchored a Redhawk backline that gave up just one goal in 184 minutes of play against Dixie State… UT Rio Grande Valley's Maile Lunardi recorded 16 saves last week as she improved her save percentage to a WAC-best .905… Utah Valley's Isabel Jones-Dawe collected her fifth shutout of the season as she held UT Rio Grande Valley without a goal on Saturday.