Women’s Team of the Week: October 19

by TopDrawerSoccer

October 19, 2021

For teams hoping to earn an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament, late season games against prominent conference opponents can offer a make-or-break chance.

On Saturday, NC State took its chance.

Facing rivals North Carolina, a strong effort in goal by Maria Echezarreta helped NC State keep a clean sheet in a 1-0 win against the Tar Heels. The Spanish goalkeeper earns the latest TDS Player of the Week nod, and boosts the Wolfpack to No. 24 in the latest RPI, while also providing a marquee win for the resume. Echezarreta made nine saves, ensuring that Jameese Joseph’s goal stood up as the winner.

Player of the Week: Maria Echezarreta, NC State

🎥 the Cheza highlight reel pic.twitter.com/cXQ9l5DNLS
— PackWSoccer⚽️ (@PackWSoccer) October 17, 2021

Check out some of the other top performances from the past week of action in DI women’s soccer.

Women’s Team of the Week: October 11-17

GK Maria Echezarreta, NC State – Just when the season looked to be drifting away, NC State has spun off three straight wins against Duke, Louisville and North Carolina. Echezarreta’s shutout was the team’s first since September 9 against Oklahoma. It couldn’t have come at a better time.

D Lilly Reale, UCLA – The freshman defender had a massive game in a big Friday night matchup at Oregon State. Reale scored a goal and setup another in a 4-1 win against the Beavers.

D Brenna Brosam, TCU – Two road games, two wins for TCU as the battle for the Big 12 regular season title hits a crucial stretch. Brosam started and played 90 minutes in a 1-0 win against West Virginia, and played 81 in a 3-0 win on Sunday over Iowa State.

M Katie Kitching, South Florida – Kitching provided the winning goal in South Florida’s close 1-0 clash on the road at Memphis. It was a massive win and will lift USF’s tournament chances.

M Jaelin Howell, Florida State – Another impressive performance from the Seminoles, Howell and FSU traveled to Blacksburg and picked up a solid 2-0 win over the Hokies. Howell bagged a goal and locked down the midfield to pick up a clean sheet.

M Avery Murdzek, South Dakota State – The freshman continues to earn time for the Summit League side, which is now unbeaten in nine games. Murdzek assisted the third goal in a 3-0 win over North Dakota State from the bench, then started and scored what turned out to be the winner in a 2-0 defeat of North Dakota. SDSU is now 14-1-1 on the season.

M Alexa Spaanstra, Virginia – With a goal and assist, Spaanstra helped UVA nab another win and keep pace in the standings with Florida State. Spaanstra scored the first and her curled cross was emphatically headed home by Haley Hopkins as UVA defeated Notre Dame 2-1.

F Madi Wolfbauer, Bowling Green – Bowling Green won twice more, extending their winning streak to five by beating Central Michigan and Eastern Michigan last week. Wolfbauer gets another Team of the Week nod after scoring the winning goal in each game.

F Lena Silano, Long Beach State – Silano scored the lone goal in each game last week, helping Long Beach State win a pair of 1-0 games in the Big West to keep pace with Cal Poly.

F Jordan Canniff, Penn State – Injuries have depleted the Nittany Lions significantly this season. But Canniff has been able to contribute from the bench as Penn State has clawed its way back towards a potential at-large bid. She scored twice last week in a 3-0 win over Indiana, and then again off the bench in a much-needed 2-1 defeat of Purdue.

F Jessica Donald, Campbell – Two conference games yielded two massive wins for the Camels. After Donald scored and assisted in a 7-1 win over Hampton, she scored two and setup two more in a 6-1 defeat of Gardner-Webb.

Honorable Mention: GK Sydney Martinez (South Florida), F Meike Ingles (Iowa), D Alyssa Malonson (Auburn), F Brittany Raphino (Brown), F Riley Tiernan (Rutgers), GK Savannah Madden (Texas), GK Jennifer Wandt (Baylor), F Audrey Harding (UNC Wilmington), M Kayla McKeon (Arkansas), D Jordan Centineo (South Dakota), M Ally Schlegel (Penn State), GK Zoe Doughty (William & Mary), D Makenzie Langdok (Minnesota)