MAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Marle Bringard, Central Michigan, Midfielder
Senior, Midland, Mich. (Midland)
Bringard had a weekend to remember, scoring both game-winning goals in leading Central Michigan to a 2-0 start to its Mid-American Conference schedule and helping to run the Chippewas win streak to five straight and keeping them unbeaten on the season at 5-0-2. On Friday in Muncie, Bringard headed in a goal, off a pass from Samantha Kaye-Total, just before halftime, as CMU knocked off Ball State 1-0, handing the Cardinals their first loss in a MAC opener since 2011. On Sunday in Oxford, Bringard saved the dramatics for double overtime, scoring in the 107th minute to give the Chippewas a 1-0 victory. Bringard leads the Chippewas with 3 goals, all game winners, and 7 points.
MAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Zoie Reed, Central Michigan, Goalkeeper
Senior, Woodbridge, Conn. (Amity Regional)
Reed has a flawless weekend in goal for Central Michigan, recording two clean sheets as the Chippewas opened MAC play 2-0, ran its win streak to five straight and remained unbeaten on the season at 5-0-2. On Friday at Ball State, Reed made four saves in CMU's 1-0 win over the Cardinals, their first loss in a MAC opener since 2011. On Sunday at Miami (Ohio), Reed came up big again, notching seven saves to keep the Chippewas in the game before they won it in double overtime. Reed has three shutouts on the season. She leads the MAC in goals against average and in save percentage.
Other Top Performances
Nicky Potts, Ball State, Midfielder
Junior, Nuneaton, England (Higham Lane)
Potts recorded a brace, including the game-winning goal in overtime, to help Ball State defeat Eastern Michigan, 3-2, Sunday afternoon. She recorded three shots for the week, all of which were on goal. The junior brought her goal tally up to four for the year, which is tied for the most at Ball State and second most in the conference. Potts has now scored in each of BSU's last three victories.
Maureen Kennedy, Bowling Green, Defender
Senior, Cypress, Calif. (Los Alamitos)
Kennedy had a stellar weekend at both ends of the field as the Falcons defeated Akron, 1-0, and Buffalo, 2-1, to open MAC play with a 2-0-0 record. Kennedy scored the first goal of the Buffalo match on Senior Day at Cochrane Stadium, blasting a free kick into the net in the 11th minute. At the other end of the field, Kennedy was part of a BG defensive unit that allowed just one goal, nine total shots and four shots on goal in 180 minutes of action last weekend. Kennedy now has three goals and seven assists on the season, good for second on the team in both categories. With her goal on Sunday, she became only the ninth BGSU player to reach the 50-point plateau for her career, and she is now tied for seventh in program history with 51 points. With 13 career goals, Kennedy has moved into sole possession of 12th place on that BG career list. Additionally, Kennedy is now third in school history in career points scored at Cochrane Stadium. She has scored 34 points in home matches.
Nikki Cox, Bowling Green, Forward
R-Junior, Granville, Ohio (Granville)
Cox scored the game-winning goal as BG defeated Buffalo, 2-1, to move to 2-0-0 in the MAC. Cox volleyed a ball out of the air to break a 1-1 tie early in the second half and lift the Falcons to the win. Cox leads the Falcons with four goals and 11 points, and she is tied for second on the team with three assists. Cox, in her second year with the Falcons, now has four GWG. All four have come against MAC opponents at Cochrane Stadium. She now has a total of 30 points in 32 matches as a Falcon, with 12 goals and six assists. The goal total ties her for 13th on the BGSU career list.
Gurjeena Jandu, Buffalo, Defender
Senior, Mississauga, Ontario (John Fraser Secondary School)
Jandu had a solid performance on the weekend for the Bulls. The senior recorded an assist on UB’s goal at Bowling Green on Sunday and her perfectly played ball on a free kick set up the game-winning goal in Buffalo’s 2-0 win at Toledo on Friday night in the conference opener. Additionally, Jandu led the Bulls’ back line to their third clean sheet of the season against the Rockets.
Kara Daly, Buffalo, Midfielder
Senior, Orchard Park, NY (Hamburg)
Daly turned in another strong performance for the Bulls as she recorded one goal on three shots to help lead the Bulls to a 1-1 start to conference play. On Friday, Daly scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win at Toledo. She also had one shot in the match at Bowling Green on Sunday.
Sabrina McNeill, Eastern Michigan, Forward
Redshirt Junior, Whitby, Ontario (Henry Street)
McNeill opened the scoring for the Eagles against Ball State, Sept. 29. Her sixth-minute goal pushed her past the 40 career points mark, making her the seventh player on the 40-point list for Eastern Michigan. In addition to her goal, McNeill fired off six additional shots, four of which were on target. McNeill also leads EMU in points and is tied for the most shots on goal.
Vital Kats, Kent State, Midfielder
Junior, Toronto, Ontario (Northview Heights Secondary)
Kats scored the game-winning goal at Northern Illinois as part of a two-goal weekend for the Toronto, Ontario native. Kats registered four points (2g, 0a) on 13 shots while placing seven on target. The Golden Flashes collected four points in the first weekend of Mid-American Conference play which positions them in third place in the league standings. Kats scored her first goal of the weekend at Western Michigan as she received a pass and uncorked a laser into the top right shelf of the goal from roughly 25 yards out in the 65th minute. KSU tied WMU, 3-3, but the Flashes overcame a three-goal deficit and scored three goals in 22 minutes to earn a point in the standings. Her second goal was the game-winner in the 47th minute at Northern Illinois as she finished from inside the box on the right side to secure the 1-0 victory. Both of Kats' goals occurred in a 48-hour span as Kent State's match at Western Michigan was moved from Friday to Saturday due to storms in the area.
Izzie Vaccari, Miami, Goalkeeper
Sophomore, Dublin, Ohio (Coffman)
On her birthday, Izzie Vaccari gifted the RedHawks' with a dominant performance against Eastern Michigan in the MAC opener. Vaccari made a career-high 14 saves as MU began league play with a 3-1 victory. Vaccari was then sharp against unbeaten Central Michigan on Sunday, notching four stops to keep the Chippewas scoreless through 100 minutes of play.
Olivia Winnett, Miami, Midfielder
Senior, Brentwood, Tenn. (Brentwood)
Winnett was part of Miami's offensive outburst in Friday's 3-1 MAC opening victory over Eastern Michigan. The senior's second goal of the season ended up as the game-winner. She fired a team-high six shots (four on goal) for the weekend.
Sydney Malham, Ohio, GK
Junior, Nashville, Tenn. / Franklin Road Academy
Malham held strong in the net this past weekend, helping Ohio to a 1-1 start to MAC play on the road. Overall, Malham allowed two goals, made seven saves and had a .778 save percentage in 180 minutes. On Friday at NIU, Malham played all 90 minutes, allowing one goal and making two saves in the Bobcats 2-1 victory. Then on Sunday at WMU, Malham played all 90 minutes again, allowing one goal and making five saves.
Maddie Young, Ohio, Forward
Freshman, Cincinnati, Ohio / Saint Ursula Academy
Young helped the Bobcats open MAC play with a 1-1 weekend. Overall, the forward registered three shots with all three on goal, while scoring one goal and adding an assist for three points. She recorded a 1.000 shots on goal percentage and a .333 shot percentage in two starts. On Friday at NIU, Young was the difference maker. In the 24th minute, Young was in on the play that set up Abby Townsend's goal, giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead in the 24th minute. Then in the second half, Young scored on her own - a goal that ended up being the game winning goal in Ohio's 2-1 victory. overall, she played 55 minutes and had one goal, one assist on two shots - both of them on goal. Young also got the start in Ohio's 1-0 loss at WMU on Sunday. Overall she recorded one shot with it being on goal.
Morgan Otteson, Western Michigan, Forward
Sophomore, Grand Rapids, Mich. (Northview)
Otteson helped the Broncos get off to an unbeaten start in MAC play with three goals over the weekend. In Saturday's 3-3 tie against Kent State she scored WMU's first and third goals of the game, helping the Broncos build an early lead. On Sunday she netted her fifth goal of the season, scoring from just inside the box for the game-winner in the 64th minute.
