Beacons Claim Trio of MVC Weekly Awards
Following a week in which Valpo won a pair of Missouri Valley Conference matches to move alone atop the MVC standings, the Beacons were rewarded on Monday with three of the Valley’s four weekly awards. Addy Joiner (Chesterton, Ind./Chesterton) was named Offensive Player of the Week, Nicole Norfolk (Menomonee Falls, Wis./Divine Savior Holy Angels) was tabbed Defensive Player of the Week and Nikki Coryell (Aurora, Ill./Metea Valley) earned Goalkeeper of the Week recognition.
Joiner struck for a goal in each of Valpo’s two wins last week. The sophomore picked up an insurance goal in the 38th minute of Valpo’s win over UIC on Thursday evening, the second of Valpo’s four goals on the night. Then, on Sunday against Drake, Joiner knocked in the eventual match-winner in the 36th minute to open the scoring. Joiner, who has scored a team-high three goals on the year, scored a goal in consecutive matches for the second time in her career.
Norfolk played all 180 minutes at center back over Valpo’s pair of shutout victories over UIC and Drake last week, helping limit the opposition to a combined six shots on goal over the two matches. She also got involved on a set piece against the Flames, heading home the final touch of a corner kick in the 19th minute for the opening goal in Valpo’s win over UIC — her first career match-winning goal. Norfolk has started all 61 matches at center back since stepping on campus as a freshman for the 2019 season, and this year, has played all but 15 of Valpo’s 990 minutes of action.
Coryell helped Valpo maintain its perfect record to start MVC play this season with two more shutouts last week. The junior made five saves in the Beacons’ shutout win over UIC, none more critical than a leaping punch of a free kick over the crossbar in the 31st minute when the score line was still 1-0. Coryell followed with a strong effort on Sunday against Drake, commanding her area well as she was forced to make just one save in the win over the Bulldogs. She has posted clean sheets in all three MVC matches to date and owns five on the season and 17 for her career. Dating back to Apr. 7, 2021, Coryell has registered a clean sheet in nine of Valpo’s last 12 MVC regular season matches.
Joiner and Norfolk each earned the second MVC weekly award of their respective careers, as Joiner picked up a Freshman of the Week honor last season and Norfolk a Defensive Player of the Week award last year. For Coryell, this is a milestone weekly award, as she becomes a six-time weekly award winner — matching Lori Moore, who was a six-time Mid-Continent Conference Player of the Week, as the most prolific weekly award winner in program history.
It is the first time the soccer program has claimed a trio of weekly awards from the conference office since its debut weekend as a full-fledged MVC member in August 2017. That weekend, Sydney Griffin was named both Offensive Player of the Week and Newcomer of the Week, while Drew Moulton claimed Defensive Player of the Week accolades.