Soccer Sweeps MAC Weekly Awards
9/26/2023 1:00:00 PM | Women's Soccer
CLEVELAND – Two student-athletes on the Kent State soccer team have earned Mid-American Conference Player of the Week honors, the league office announced Tuesday.
Alisa Arthur earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after a two-goal performance to open the conference schedule and Kelsey Salopek was named the Defensive Player of the Week following her stellar start to MAC play.
Arthur netted the Golden Flashes' first goal of conference play on the season against Ohio on Thursday, scoring the game-winner in just the 10th minute of action. She scored again in the Wagon Wheel rivalry game against Akron, juking out the Zips keeper to net the equalizer in the 82nd minute.
Arthur leads the Flashes in points (8), goals (3), shots (28), and shots on goal (14) and sits second on the team in assists (2) so far this season.
Salopek was instrumental in the Flashes' 1-0 shutout win over the Bobcats on Thursday. The converted midfielder played 81 minutes against Ohio and held the Bobcats to just one shot on goal, which did not come until the 86th minute. On Sunday against Akron, Salopek played the full 90 minutes in the rivalry win and scored the game-winner in impressive fashion. With just two minutes left on the clock, the sophomore intercepted a pass in the midfield and fired a shot from nearly 30 yards out that scraped the underside of the crossbar and went in.
Sunday's spectacular shot with the first goal this season for Salopek and the fourth of her career.
Last season, Salopek earned Offensive Player of the Week honors to start conference play after scoring twice against Ohio and once against Akron in her first two MAC contests. This is her first Defensive Player of the Week nod and Arthur's first career Offensive Player of the Week award.
Sarah Melén won Defensive Player of the Week earlier this season for the Flashes following a 10-save performance against Pitt and the first shutout of the season against Cleveland State.
MAC play continues this week for Kent State. The Flashes host Eastern Michigan at 7 p.m. on Sept. 28 as part of Rock 'n Roll Night before hitting the road to face Miami on Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.
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