UIW’s Ayala, Pair of Islanders Tabbed Soccer Players of the Week
FRISCO, Texas – UIW’s Keeley Ayala and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi’s Shayla Spearman and Kyleigh Hall are the Southland Conference Soccer Players of the Week, the league announced Tuesday.
The Division I leader in penalty kick goals, Ayala earns Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring her sixth of the season from the spot as part of a two-goal performance in a 3-2 overtime win over Houston Baptist last Friday to vault the Cardinals (6-7, 5-1 SLC) into a three-way tie atop the conference table. McNeese and Lamar, the two teams tied with UIW at 5-1 in league play, are the Cardinals next two opponents at 7 p.m. Friday and 1 p.m. Sunday, respectively.
Spearman is the Defensive Player of the Week, and teammate Hall garners her fourth Goalkeeper of the Week award of the year and third straight. The Islander duo played a vital role in keeping preseason favorite Abilene Christian to one goal on a penalty kick in a 2-1 upset of the Wildcats. A&M-Corpus Christi (7-5-1, 4-1-1 SLC) aims to maintain its five-match unbeaten streak at Northwestern State at 7 p.m. Friday and versus Central Arkansas at 1 p.m. Sunday.
Offensive Player of the Week: Keeley Ayala, UIW – So. – Forward – Wichita Falls, Texas
With the Cardinals and Huskies knotted at 1-1, Ayala stepped up and netted her nation-leading sixth penalty kick goal of the season in the 28
th minute. After HBU forced extra time with a late penalty kick, she needed just three minutes in the first overtime period to end the match with her conference-best fourth game-winning goal of the season.
Honorable Mention: Olivia Broussard, McNeese; Esther Okoronkwo, Lamar; Katelyn Termini, Stephen F. Austin.
Defensive Player of the Week: Shayla Spearman, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – Sr. – Defense – Wichita Falls, Texas
Spearman played all 90 minutes on the Islanders’ back line, holding ACU to one goal on a spot kick in the first half. The Wildcats only placed six of their 18 attempts on goal. In Southland matches, A&M-Corpus Christi boasts the top goals-against average (.500) in the conference.
Honorable Mention: Payton Adams, UIW; Kaisa Juvonen, Lamar.
Goalkeeper of the Week: Kyleigh Hall, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi – Jr. – Goalkeeper – Mansfield, Texas
Hall turned in another solid performance minding the net for the Islanders, making five saves on 18 shots faced to help A&M-Corpus Christi knock off the first-place Wildcats. ACU’s penalty kick goal is the only attempt to get by Hall in her last 280:34 in goal. This is Hall’s fourth weekly honor of the season and her third consecutive.
Honorable Mention: Cailey Croson, UIW; Madeline Talbot, Stephen F. Austin.
Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.