OKLAHOMA CITY – After helping lead the MACU women's soccer team to a bounce-back 2-1 victory over Texas Wesleyan on Saturday, senior goalkeeper Jennifer Starwalt was selected as both the Sooner Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Week and the NCCAA Division I Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week on Monday.
It is the second time this season that Starwalt has swept both awards this season, as she also earned the accolade two weeks ago after pitching a six-save shutout in a 3-0 victory at Oklahoma City and recorded the game-winning save on a penalty kick in a 3-2 win at Central Christian.
In her fifth season with the Evangels, it is the seventh time in her illustrious career that she garnered the SAC defensive honor and the third time she's collected the NCCAA accolade.
In the win against the Rams, Starwalt conceded just one goal to the 12th best scoring team in the NAIA, a program that was averaging 4.2 goals per game heading into the contest. The senior keeper's best saves in the match came in the final 15 minutes when she was able to reach up to knock down a long 25-yard shot toward the top right corner in the 79th minute before making a tremendous stab at a long shot aimed just under the crossbar, pushing it over the bar to hold onto the lead with just over five minutes to go.
At the conclusion of the week, Starwalt improved her record in-goal to 7-4 on the season as she currently holds a 1.71 goals allowed average and has made 46 saves for a .719 save percentage.
As the program's record-holder for career wins and shutouts, Starwalt is now just nine saves away from tying Melissa Dobie's career saves record.
Starwalt will be looking to maintain the momentum on the road tomorrow night as the Evangels will be in Plainview, Texas for a 5 p.m. match against Wayland Baptist.
