University of Washington senior forward Brent Richards was named Pacific-12 Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Oct. 11-17, Commissioner Larry Scott announced Tuesday.
The Camas High School graduate tallied two goals and one assist as the Huskies went 2-0 on the road over the weekend.
On Friday, Richards picked up his second assist of the season on Casey McCool’s goal in the 23rd minute as Washington defeated Stanford, 2-0.
On Sunday, Richards scored both goals in a 2-1 double-overtime win over California. He tied the match at 1-1 just before halftime and then struck on a header in the 103rd minute.
“We didn’t come out like we wanted in the first half, but coach has been talking about having belief a lot lately and we had it today, so we were able to come back and pull out a win,” Richards told gohuskies.com about the win over Cal.
Richards has nine goals and 20 points to lead the Huskies this season.
It marks Richards’ second weekly honor and Washington’s 24th all-time Player of the Week. He is the only player to be so honored twice so far in eight weeks of awards.
The Huskies (8-3-2, 3-2-0 Pac-12) face the same schools at home this weekend, playing host to Stanford on Friday and California on Sunday.
Another honor for Ridgefield’s Hanson
Illinois College freshman goalkeeper Corey Hanson was named Midwest Conference Defensive Performer of the Week in women’s soccer for the second consecutive week and the fourth time in seven weeks this season.
The Ridgefield High School graduate turned in one of her best performances of the season on Saturday in the Lady Blues’ scoreless double-overtime draw with Grinnell College. Hanson made 15 saves for the shutout.
Hanson — who garnered conference honors on Sept. 5, Sept. 12, Oct. 10, and this week — leads the MWC in goals-against average (0.96) and save percentage (.860). She is tied for the conference lead with three shutouts.
Hanson and the Lady Blues (4-7-3, 0-3-2 MWC) have allowed more than two goals in only one of 14 games, but have scored seven goals in 12 games other than two non-conference games in which they scored in double digits.
The school is located in Jacksonville, Ill., about 35 miles west of Springfield.
Blackford helps Weber State to fifth
Weber State University sophomore Kayla Blackford placed 64th of 296 runners, helping the Wildcats’ women to fifth place at the Chile Pepper Arkansas Invitational meet Saturday in Fayetteville, Ark.
The top four teams were schools from the Southeastern or Big 12 conferences. Texas won the meet, followed by Arkansas, Oklahoma State, and Texas Tech. Among the 31 teams finishing behind Weber State were Southern Methodist, Utah, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Texas Christian.
Blackford finished the 6-kilometer (3.7-mile) course in 22:07.4. She was 59th excluding unattached runners. She was Weber State’s fifth runner.
Next for Weber State are the Big Sky Conference championships on Oct. 29 in Pocatello, Idaho. The Wildcats are ranked No. 5 in the Mountain Region by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association (USATFCCCA), leading Big Sky schools. They were the preseason Big Sky favorites in voting by conference coaches.
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