W-League & W-20 Feature
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
TAMPA, Fla. – Pali Blues forward Lynn Williams had a memorable week for Pepperdine University, capturing West Coast Conference Player of the Week and NSCAA Division I National Player of the Week honors after she led the Waves to a 2-0-1 start, including a pair of results against top-25 opponents. A MAC Hermann Award Watch List pick, Williams scored back-to-back game-winners against Wright State and at No. 19 Texas A&M.
Williams tallied a world-class goal against the Raiders, firing a rocket to the far post from 25 yards. At Texas A&M, the junior scored two goals in less than two minutes and sealed Pepperdine's upset win with an assist on the insurance goal by Kristen Rodriguez. It was the third multi-goal match of her career, and Williams now has seven career game-winning strikes. She registered seven points and fired 18 shots, nine on target, during the week.
Williams led the list of W-League alums included on the TopDrawerSoccer.com Team of the Week, which also included Williams’ Pali teammate Samantha Mewis of UCLA, and Washington Spirit Reserves veteran and University of Virginia defender Molly Menchel.
Laval Comets standout Valerie Sanderson, a freshman at Memphis, earned American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors after she recorded the first hat trick for the new conference in Memphis' 3-1 victory against Middle Tennessee on Sept. 1. Long Island Rough Riders defensive stalwart Gabrielle Charno was chosen as Defensive Player of the week after she started both games in Connecticut’s 2-0 weekend, anchoring a defense that shut out Boston College 1-0 and Central Connecticut State 3-0. Charno also was credited with the assist in the 1-0 win against BC.
Saint Joseph’s Emily Gingrich, a member of W-20’s Reading United AC this past summer, was named Atlantic 10 Conference Rookie of the Week after the Saint Joseph’s freshman scored on a penalty kick for her first collegiate goal, cutting the deficit to 2-1 vs. Quinnipiac. Less than a minute later, the Shillington, Pa., native tied the game 2-2 with a shot inside the left post, swinging the momentum towards the Hawks in a 3-2 win. In the first four games of the season, the freshman has put up 19 shots to lead Saint Joseph’s to a 2-0-2 record.
Colorado Rapids Women veteran keeper Hannah Clark was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week after the Iowa sophomore posted shutouts against both UC Davis and Pacific in leading Iowa to the tournament title at the Pacific Soccer Classic. Clark, who was named to the Pacific Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team, made four saves against UC Davis and two vs. Pacific to earn her second career Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor.
Ottawa Fury forward Lauren Hughes was named Conference USA Offensive Player of the Week after the Rice sophomore posted the second two-goal game of her career and added an assist to lead the Owls to a 3-2 road victory against SEC opponent Vanderbilt. In the Owls' 1-0-1 weekend, the standout from Ontario recorded a team-high eight and added an assist on Holly Hargreaves' goal.
2013 Santa Clarita Blue Heat midfielder Toni Lashley kicked off her senior season with Charleston Southern in style, being named Big South Attacking Player of the Week. Lashley, a senior from Union County, N.C., notched four goals in three games to lead the Buccaneers to a 3-0 record last week. She got the week started with the lone goal in CSU’s 1-0 win against Francis Marion, and she tallied a pair of goals in a 5-3 victory against Canisius. She finished the week with a goal as Charleston Southern downed Jacksonville State, 4-2.