United Athletic Conference

NM State's Hannah Leitner and Sam Houston's Abby DeLozier been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for August 23 through August 29.

 

Leitner, a junior forward from Tucson, Ariz., was NM State's offensive frontrunner. She contributed to three out of four goals that the Aggies scored this week pushing them to a 3-0 start of the season. She assisted Shea O'Connor in scoring her second goal in their 2-0 win over UC Davis, Friday. Then, Leitner contributed to every single goal on Sunday's 3-2 win at Nevada, scoring two goals and one assist.

 

DeLozier, a senior goalkeeper from McKinney, Texas, recorded 11 saves and only conceded one over the course of this week's two games. She was Sam Houston's main defensive  force and contributed to the Bearkats'2-1 win over Grambling, Friday with four saves, then recorded a whopping number of seven saves Sunday's 1-0 shutout win over McNeese.

 

Other offensive nominees: California Baptist's Devyn Kelsey scored the game-winner on Sunday's 1-0 win at Incarnate Word … Chicago State's Sara Quevedo scored the Cougars' sole goal on Thursday's 1-4 loss at Northern Illinois … Dixie State's Kelsey Cook contributed to all of the Trailblazers' goals with one goal and two assists on Sunday's 4-0 win against North Dakota State … Grand Canyon's Marleen Schimmer contributed an assist for the Lopes' game-winner of Friday's 1-0 win at Incarnate Word and scored a goal on Sunday against UTSA … Lamar's Isela Ramirez got nominated for the second week in a row after scoring the Cardinals' sole goal on their 1-3 loss at Alabama, Friday  … Sam Houston's Landri Townsend scored two goals on Friday's 3-2 win against Grambling … Seattle U's Leahi Manthei scored two goals one apiece on Thursday's 2-2 draw at Santa Clara and a game-winner on Sunday's 3-2 win at San Diego … Stephen F. Austin's Lily Hargrove scored her first goal of the season on the Lumberjacks' 4-4 draw at Houston, Thursday … UT Rio Grande Valley's Anna Barkey scored her first goal of the season in a 2-0 win against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Friday … Utah Valley's Heather Stainbrook led the Wolverines with two goals in the second week contributing one goal on UVU's Monday 2-1 win over Northern Arizona and on Thursday's 3-0 win at Weber State.

 

Other defensive nominees: Dixie State's Lauren Buxton played a major role on the Trailblazers' Sunday 3-0 win at North Dakota, allowing only four shots from the opposition … Grand Canyon's Jordan Ferguson shuts out Incarnate Word on Friday's 1-0 win … NM State's Lece Aviles secured the backline on the Aggies' two wins this week … Stephen F. Austin's Paige Kanipes played major defensive role when the Lumberjacks come back from Thursday's 4-4 draw at Houston with a 2-1 win over Texas State, Sunday … Utah Valley's Nicole Olanda helped anchor the UVU defense to a clean sheet in a 3-0 shutout win at Weber State … UT Rio Grande Valley's Maile Lunardi was in the net on the Vaqueros' shutout 2-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, Friday.

 

Twenty-one matches are scheduled between Thrusday and Sunday this week. Among them, the highlighted match of the week is Sam Houston playing going on the road to face 20th-ranked Texas A&M on Friday.

 

Through the second weekend of play, Grand Canyon leads the league in shots (88), points (30), goals (10), goals per game (2.50), assists (10), assists per game (2.50), least goals allowed (2), goals against average (0.50) and shutouts (3). Sam Houston holds the top spot in saves (37) while Utah Valley is the leader in corner kicks (23). 

 

Individually, GCU's Marleen Schimmer is the leader in shots (28) and shots per game (7.00). Seattle U's Leahi Manthei and UVU's Heather Stainbrook are tied leading goals (3). In the net, GCU's Jordan Ferguson is on the lead in goals against average (0.51) while Dixie State's Mashaun Estridge is tied at the top with Ferguson in save percentage (.800). SHSU's Abby DeLozier is the leader in saves (33) and saves per game (8.25). 

 

Following a short offseason and an influx of new programs, Stephen F. Austin is the preseason favorite to win the 2021 Western Athletic Conference Southwest Division while Utah Valley is the coaches' pick to win the WAC West Division in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players. 

 

WAC-newcomer Stephen F. Austin received three first place votes to edge out Abilene Christian and Lamar for the top spot with 22 points, compared with two first place votes and 18 points for the Wildcats and one first place vote and 18 points for the Cardinals. UT Rio Grande Valley was picked fourth, followed by Sam Houston in fifth and Chicago State in sixth.

 

In the west, defending WAC champion Utah Valley received four first place votes and 24 total points to edge out rival Seattle U for the first spot. The Redhawks received one first place vote and 21 points to take second, followed by Grand Canyon, with the final first place vote and 17 points, in third. California Baptist takes fourth, NM State is fifth and Dixie State is sixth.

 

Seattle U's Sydney Carr and UVU's Jenna Shephard were selected as the WAC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year respectively in a vote of the league's 12 head coaches, who could not vote for their own team or players.

 

Carr represented the Redhawks on the Preseason All-WAC team whole Shephard was joined by teammates Sadie Brockback, Heather Stainbrook and Amber Tripp. California Baptist had two players honored as Erin Gallagher and Romy Salvador represented the Lancers. Also earning honors were Abilene Christian's Christina Arteaga, Dixie State's Whitley Griffiths, Grand Canyon's Marleen Schimmer and Stephen F. Austin's Jamie Jezierski. 

 

The Western Athletic Conference is a little bit bigger this season as Abilene Christian, Lamar, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin have all joined the party. Due to the increase from eight teams to 12 teams, the league will play in a divisional format this season with the top three teams from each division advancing to the WAC Tournament.

 

WAC women's soccer teams will take on some of the top teams in the nation this season with 17 non-conference games against opponents that participated in the 2020-21 NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament in North Carolina. Stephen F. Austin has the most daunting schedule, facing off against four postseason opponents. GCU is second with three matches scheduled against NCAA tournament teams. Sam Houston and Seattle U have two each.

 

The 2021 WAC Women's Soccer Tournament will feature the top three teams from each division on November 3, 5, and 7 at Elmer Gray Stadium in Abilene, Texas. The two divisional winners will receive byes to the semifinal round with the second place team taking on the third place team from the other division in the first round.

 

As Tarleton continues its growth to NCAA Division I, the athletics department will be adding women's soccer with the expectation to begin play in the fall of 2022. Southern Utah will also join the WAC, with the Thunderbirds moving all their athletic grams from the Big Sky Conference to the WAC effective July 1, 2022.