Pac-12 announces women's soccer players of the week

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. -- UCLA midfielder/defender Lauren Kaskie was named Offensive Player of the Week and WASHINGTON goalkeeper Megan Kufeld was named Defensive Player of the Week for Pac-12 Women’s Soccer for the week of Oct. 7-13, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today. 

Kaskie, a freshman from Las Vegas, Nev., earned Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring the game-winning goal in No. 2 UCLA’s 2-1 double-overtime win at No. 5 Stanford. After entering the game with a minute left in the first overtime, Kaskie stayed on the field in the second overtime and found herself at the top of the arc where she lofted a left-footed shot over the Stanford goalkeeper for the golden goal. Kaskie’s first collegiate goal of her career helped the Bruins win at Stanford for the first time since 2007, snapping a seven-match losing streak to the Cardinal. 

Kufeld, a sophomore from Fremont, Calif., earned Defensive Player of the Week honors after posting two shutouts and 295 scoreless minutes before allowing a golden goal in a 1-0 overtime loss to Colorado. She posted 18 saves and allowed only one goal in three matches, one of which was against then-No. 3 UCLA. Against the Bruins, Kufeld recorded eight saves as Washington earned a 0-0 double overtime draw and was the first Pac-12 team to earn a point against first-place UCLA this season. She added five saves in a 1-0 win at home over Utah and another five saves against the Buffs.  

This is the first-career weekly honor for both Kaskie and Kufeld and the 38th and 20th overall for UCLA and Washington, respectively. With the honor, UCLA moves into a tie with Stanford for most player of the week honors all-time.

UCLA returns home to host Arizona State on Friday night at 7 p.m. PT while Washington stays at home to take on Oregon on Thursday night for a 7 p.m. PT match that will be broadcast live on the Pac-12 Networks.       

Also Nominated for Offense: Jazmin Ponce, ARIZ; Anne Stuller, COLO; ShayLee Miner, ORE; Erin Uchacz, OSU; Alex Quincey, USC; Cara Wegner, WSU. 

Also Nominated for Defense: Gabby Kaufman, ARIZ; Abby Steele, ORE; Sammy Jo Prudhomme, OSU; Abby Dahlkemper, UCLA; Mandy Freeman, USC. 

2013 Pac-12 Women’s Soccer Players of the Week

(UCLA Photo Credit: Scott Chandler)