FRISCO, Texas — Northwestern State's Paige Baumgartner, Jessica Spitzer and Kennedy Rist have won this week's Jersey Mike's Southland Conference weekly soccer awards, the conference office announced Tuesday. Rist gets her fourth nod of the season while Baumgartner and Spitzer are first-time winners this season.
Offensive Player of the Week: Paige Baumgartner – R Jr. – F – Rowlett, Texas (Sachse High School)
Baumgartner excelled offensively for the Demons this weekend, scoring a goal in each game and leading Northwestern State to a pair of wins. In the win over UIW, she broke a scoreless deadlock in the second half with the deciding goal. She has scored in three consecutive games (three wins) in the heat of the SLC race and is now tied for first in goals in SLC games with four.
Honorable mention: Madison Page, A&M-Corpus Christi
Defensive Player of the Week: Jessica Spitzer, Northwestern State – Sr. – D – Allen, Texas (Allen High School)
Spitzer helped the Demons defense post a pair of shutouts this past weekend against McNeese and UIW. A leader along the back line, she helped aid a defense that allowed just 14 shots in the two games with only six on frame. In the 1-0 win over UIW, her back line did not surrender a single shot in the final 40 minutes of action.
Honorable mention: Sawyer Kohutek, SFA
Goalkeeper of the Week: Kennedy Rist – R Jr. – GK – Palm Harbor, Fla. (East Lake High School)
Rist made six saves in a pair of shutout wins against McNeese and UIW. She has only allowed three goals during Southland play, leading the Demons to a 6-1-1 mark. Rist has a goals against average of a miniscule .382 and a save percentage of .893 with five shutouts, all leading the conference.
2025 Southland Women's Soccer Players of the Week
| Date |
Offensive |
Defensive |
Goalkeeper |
| Aug. 19 |
Emily Senatore, Northwestern State |
Alexia Murillo, HCU |
Kennedy Rist, Northwestern State |
| Aug. 26 |
Cilia Leal, A&M-Corpus Christi |
Abbie Bailey, UTRGV |
Kennedy Rist, Northwestern State |
| Sept. 2 |
Emily Gundin, Northwestern State |
Kate Bouck, Northwestern State |
Veronica Pacione, East Texas A&M |
| Sept. 9 |
Emily Senatore, Northwestern State |
Sydney Williams, SFA |
Sierra McCluer, SFA |
| Sept. 16 |
Lauren Smith, Lamar |
Ella Quinlan, SLU |
Emmy McKeon, HCU |
| Sept. 23 |
Alana Lawless-Felarca, East Texas A&M |
Bryn Geppert, SFA |
Kennedy Rist, Northwestern State |
| Sept. 30 |
Alexi Pitt, McNeese |
Bryn Geppert, SFA |
Emmy McKeon, HCU |
| Oct. 7 |
Emily Senatore, Northwestern State & Isabella Burtini, UTRGV |
Abbie Bailey, UTRGV |
Emilia Compian, UTRGV |
| Oct. 14 |
Taylor Dodson, SFA |
Katya Alexis, HCU |
Celeste Marijnissen, McNeese |
| Oct. 21 |
Paige Baumgartner, Northwestern State |
Jessica Spitzer, Northwestern State |
Kennedy Rist, Northwestern State |
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.