One program looking to bounce back this season enjoyed a strong start to the Division I season.

Longtime SEC power Florida missed the NCAA tournament last fall, but swept to a pair of wins last week.

The first victory was secured in come-from-behind fashion against Florida Atlantic. After conceding the opening goal, Player of the Week Deanne Rose tied the game. When FAU equalized with a few minutes to go, Rose scored again to secure a 3-2 victory.

Player of the Week: F Deanne Rose, Florida

Facing a big road test on Sunday against South Florida, Rose scored and setup another goal in a 2-0 win, despite being outshot 20-4 on the night. The Canadian international missed a big chunk of last year on international duty, so her immediate impact is significant for Florida’s bounce back chances.

Big tests lie ahead – including this weekend against USC and UCLA – but it’s the strong start needed for the Gators.

See who joins Rose on the first Women’s Team of the Week for the 2019 season below.

Please send any future Team of the Week nominations to college@topdrawersoccer.com every Monday.

GK Zoe Clevely, Pepperdine – After not making a save in Pepperdine’s 3-0 win against UC Riverside, Clevely helped ensure the Waves drew 0-0 against Texas A&M’s strong attack. She made seven saves on Sunday in a 0-0 draw.

D Emily Fox, North Carolina – In opening weekend matches at home against Indiana and Duke, Fox led a defensive effort that saw the Tar Heels conceded a total of three shots in two shutout wins.

D Malia Berkely, Florida State – After helping the defending champs keep a clean sheet in their 2-0 opening win over TCU, Berkeley scored the game-winning goal with a thunderbolt from distance in Sunday’s 1-0 overtime victory against Wisconsin.

D Autumn Smithers, Notre Dame – Making her first pair of appearances for the Irish, Smithers anchored a pair of clean sheet wins against Saint Louis and Northwestern.

D Julia Bingham, USC – The senior defender anchored the USC back line to pair of shutout victories in Hawaii. The Pac-12 side beat Hawaii 3-0 and San Francisco by a 2-0 score.

M Julia Grosso, Texas – Playing just a single game over the weekend, Texas held off Gonzaga by a 4-3 score at home. Grosso scored twice and setup the game-winning goal in the 81st minute.

M Mikayla Colohan, BYU  – On the road to play a pair of SEC foes, Colohan scored both game-winning goals in wins over Alabama and Mississippi State.

M Samantha Dewey, Xavier – A four-goal effort against Murray State led the Big East side to a wild 4-3 victory. It was a two-win opening week for Xavier, as they also beat Bowling Green.

F Catarina Macario, Stanford – Macario almost single-handedly defeated Penn State on Friday night, scoring a scintillating goal and combining for the winner. The only thing standing between her and a stellar season is health.

F Deanne Rose, Florida – A big season for Rose could mean great things for Florida. If her three goals and one assist over the weekend are a sign of what’s in store for her this season, it bodes well for the Gators.

F Isabella D'Aquila, Santa Clara – The top recruit was one of several freshmen to enjoy a stellar start in 2019 over the weekend. She scored her first college goal against Texas A&M, and then scored twice and added an assist against Oregon in a 4-1 victory.

Honorable Mention: F MA Vignola (Tennessee), F Nicole Douglas (Arizona State), F Cyera Hintzen (Texas), F Eva Hurm (Notre Dame), F Tara McKeown (USC), F Mia Fishel (UCLA), F Ashley Sanchez (UCLA), F Deyna Castellanos (Florida State), M Amber Posthauer (Louisiana Tech), F Diana Ordonez (Virginia), F Katie McClure (Kansas), GK Susi Espinoza (Florida), F Elexa Bahr (South Carolina), M Luca Deza (California), F Clarissa Larisey (Memphis), GK Kamryn Stablein (Delaware), F Julissa Cisnero (Missouri), M Eva van Deursen (Arizona State), M Katie Soderstrom (Butler), F Haley Johnson (Wisconsin-Milwaukee)

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