United Athletic Conference

Complete release (PDF)

 

Grand Canyon's Lindsey Prokop and UTRGV's Macie Blohowiak been named TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for September 13 through 19.

Prokop, a junior forward from Omaha, Neb., led the Lopes in goals with two over the past week. The two goals served as an opener to what turned into a big 4-1 win over UCSD, Sunday. With the two goals, Prokop is now leading the Lopes in goals scored this season with a total of four.

 

Blohowiak, a freshman goalkeeper from Granbury, Texas, recorded a total of 4 saves and her first collegiate shutout this past week. She was in the net when the Vaqueros scored a 3-0 shutout win over Lady of the Lake, Wednesday.

 

Other offensive nominees: Abilene Christian's Caylen Wright scored the Wildcats' winning goal on their 2-1 win over Grambling, Sunday … Chicago State's Hailey Stacey scored the Cougars' first goal of last week on their 2-3 loss against Bellarmine, Thursday … Dixie State's Brynlee Roberts went two for two for the Trailblazers when she scored two goals on their 2-1 win over Southern Utah, Thursday … Lamar's Laura Linares scored the Cardinals' winning goal on their 2-0 win over Luisiana College, Thursday … NM State's Megan Ormson scored the Aggies' sole goal of the past week in their 1-2 loss against New Mexico, Thursday … Seattle U's Bailey Hall scored the game-winning goal for the Redhawks on minute 86 of their 2-1 win over Cal Poly, Sunday … UT Rio Grande Valley's Emily Zapata scored a pair of goals this past week playing a major role on the Vaqueros' 3-0 win over Lady of the Lake, Wednesday.

 

Other defensive nominees: Abilene Christian's Lily Foster was in the net for the Wildcats on their 2-1 win over Grambling, Sunday … California Baptist's Romy Salvador recorded her second shutout of the season on the Lancers' 0-0 draw against Idaho, Thursday. The shutout puts her fourth in the program's all-time career shutouts with 15 … Chicago State's Lauren Reiber played a major role in the Cougars' defensive line on their narrow 2-3 loss against Bellarmine, Thursday … Dixie State's Kayla Gonzales recorded a total of 11 saves over the course of the week, contributing to the 2-1 win over Southern Utah, Thursday … Grand Canyon's Mina Ghazizadeh showed versatility as she contributed offensively with one goal and an assist while being part of a defense that only allowed one goal on the Lopes' 4-1 win over UCSD, Sunday … Lamar's Carina Leal helped limit the shots made on goal against the Cardinals to only four and contributed offensively with a goal on their 2-0 win over Louisiana College, Thursday … Seattle U's Michele Adam played a big role in the Redhawks' strong defensive line while contributing offensively with one goal on their 2-1 win over Cal Poly, Sunday.

 

Things are picking up as Western Athletic Conference matches are starting this week. 

 

Coming off the fifth week, Grand Canyon keeps their spot as league leaders in shots (165), points (55), goals (23), assists (19) and assists per game (2.11), and average goals per game (2.56). Utah Valley tied the Lopes at the top in shutouts (4) and is the lone leader in corner kicks (41). Seattle U kept the top spot for least goals allowed (8) and goals against average (0.831). Dixie State leads the league in saves (67). 

Individually, Lamar's Isela Ramirez and Utah Valley's Heather Stainbrook are the current top scorers of the league (5). Grand Canyon's Marleen Schimmer keeps the top spot for total shots (51) and shots per game (5.67). Schimmer is also leading the league in assists together with NM State's Hannah Leitner (4). In the net, Dixie State's Kayla Gonzales is the leader in saves (64). Grand Canyon's Jordan Ferguson is in the lead with the least goals against average (0.82) while Seattle U's Jessica Berlin is at the top in save percentage (.826). 

 

Grand Canyon goes back into the win column with a 4-1 win over UCSD, Sunday. Making them 7-2 coming into WAC conference games. Right on their tail, also in the West Division, is Seattle U with a record of 6-2-1. UTRGV has the best record in the Southwest Division with 4-5-1.

 

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.