FARMINGTON, Utah (Oct. 17, 2023) – Following a pivotal weekend of matches the Big Sky Conference office has announced its ninth installment of Women’s Soccer Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards for the 2023 campaign.
Offensive Player of the Week: Skyleigh Thompson, Montana
Navigating the Griz to a pair of big-time victories, Montana’s Skyleigh Thompson has been named Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week.
Thompson scored a goal against both Northern Arizona and Northern Colorado as Montana secured a road sweep of the Lumberjacks and Bears.
She also dished out an assist against Northern Colorado to bring her weekend point total to five.
Others Nominated: Ariana Scholten (SAC), Saydree Bell (ISU)
Defensive Player of the Week: Izzy Palmatier, Sacramento State
Protecting the goal in a pair of matches where her team needed a positive result has led to Sacramento state’s Izzy Palmatier earning Defensive Player of the Week honors.
Facing 38 shots, she allowed just one goal and made 16 total saves against Idaho State and Weber State. Both matches ended in draws.
Her 10 saves against WSU were a career-high and the most by a Hornet since October 21, 2022. It also marked her fourth shutout of the year.
Others Nominated: Ashlyn Dvorak (UM), Marta Nieto (ISU)
Previous Winners
Week Eight – October 10
Offensive: Sienna Higinbotham, Portland State
Erika Tilford, Sacramento State
Week Seven – October 3
Offensive: Allison Veloz, Northern Arizona
Defensive: Ashlyn Dvorak, Montana
Week Six – September 26
Offensive: Abigail Lopez, Sacramento State
Defensive: Alyssa Peters, Idaho
Week Five – September 19
Offensive: Raniyah Burton, Portland State
Defensive: Ashlyn Dvorak, Montana
Week Four - September 12
Offensive: Maddie Morgan, Eastern Washington
Defensive: Kelsey Jargstorf, Idaho State & Joey Lujan, Northern Arizona
Week Three – September 5, 2023
Offensive: Maddie Morgan, Eastern Washington
Defensive: Ashlyn Dvorak, Montana
Week Two – August 29, 2023
Offensive: Maysa Walters, Montana
Defensive: Kira Witte, Idaho
Week One – August 22, 2023
Offensive: Delaney Lou Schorr, Montana & Maddie Shafer, Northern Arizona
Defensive: Molly Quarry, Montana
2023 Championship Information
The 2023 Big Sky Soccer Championships will be hosted on Nov. 1, 3, and 5 on the campus of the Northern Arizona University in Flagstaff, Ariz. The top six teams in the conference regular season standings advance to the championship.
The winner of the championship receives the Big Sky’s automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament.
Flagstaff will serve as the host city for the first time since 2010 when the Lumberjacks won the regular season championship. The host institution hasn’t won the postseason tournament since 2019 when Northern Colorado won on their home grass.
All matches from Flagstaff will stream live on ESPN+
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