Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State Earn Weekly Women’s Soccer Awards
Hoosiers’ Annelie Leitner, Spartans’ Michaela Kovacs and Reilley Ott, and Buckeyes’ Emaly Vatne are this week’s honorees
Offensive Player of the Week
Annelie Leitner, Indiana
M/F – Sr. – Salzburg, Austria – Instituto Austriaco Guatemalteco
• Scored both game-winning goals in the second half of Indiana’s road victories last weekend at Pepperdine and Loyola Marymount
• Netted winning goal against Pepperdine in the 66th minute and the decisive tally at LMU in the 82nd minute
• Two-time Big Ten Distinguished Scholar (2016, 2017)
• Three-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree (2015, 2016, 2017)
• Earns her first career Offensive Player of the Week award
• Last Indiana Offensive Player of the Week: Jessie Bujouves (Sept. 9, 2013)
Defensive Player of the Week
Michaela Kovacs, Michigan State
D – Jr. – Hudsonville, Mich. – Hudsonville
• Anchored the Michigan State backline as the Spartans defeated Portland in overtime and earned a double-overtime draw at Washington in last weekend’s Husky/Nike Invitational
• Scored the golden goal in the 1-0 win over Portland on Aug. 30, heading in a corner kick in the 94th minute
• Has helped the Spartans to their best start (4-0-1) since they won six in a row to open the 2014 season
• Garners her first career Defensive Player of the Week honor
• Last Michigan State Defensive Player of the Week: Courtney Clem (Sept. 3, 2014)
Goalkeeper of the Week
Reilley Ott, Michigan State
GK – Jr. – Grapevine, Texas – Grapevine
• Played every minute in goal for MSU at last weekend’s Husky/Nike Invitational in Seattle, making a combined 16 saves in an overtime shutout of Portland and a double-overtime draw at Washington
• Named the Husky/Nike Invitational Defensive Player of the Tournament after tying her career high with 11 saves in Sunday’s finale against the host Huskies
• Recorded five saves in the overtime win over the Pilots, posting her fourth consecutive shutout to open the season
• Receives her first career Goalkeeper of the Week accolade
• Last Michigan State Goalkeeper of the Week: N/A (new award for 2018)
Freshman of the Week
Emaly Vatne, Ohio State
M – Sterling Heights, Mich. – Adlai E. Stevenson
• Tallied three goals and one assist last weekend as the Buckeyes defeated Morehead State and Notre Dame
• Had all seven of her points in the Aug. 30 win over Morehead State, registering the 15th hat trick in OSU history and the third by a freshman (first since Sammy Edwards vs. Dayton on Sept. 5, 2014)
• Her seven points also rank second in school history
• Collects her first career Freshman of the Week award
• Last Ohio State Freshman of the Week: Kayla Fischer (Aug. 28, 2018)
2018 Big Ten Players of the Week
Aug. 21
O: Sadie Misiewicz, Jr., MSU
D: Kayla Sharples, Sr., NU
GK: Claire Graves, Jr., IOWA
F: Makena Silber, ILL
Aug. 28
O: Kayla Fischer, Fr., OSU
D: Sinclaire Miramontez, Jr., NEB
GK: Mackenzie Wood, Fr., NU
F: Mackenzie Wood, NU
F: Kayla Fischer, OSU
Sept. 4
O: Annelie Leitner, Sr., IND
D: Michaela Kovacs, Jr., MSU
GK: Reilley Ott, Jr., MSU
F: Emaly Vatne, OSU