USC and Oregon players earn Pac-12 women’s soccer weekly awards

The Pac-12 women’s soccer Players of the Week have been unveiled following the latest round of NCAA competition during the Fall 2021 season. Two standouts from Oregon and one from USC received this week’s honors.

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Croix Bethune, Jr., USC (Alpharetta, Ga.)
1 game, 1 goal, 1 assist, 3 points

• The junior midfielder led USC to a 2-1 comeback win against previously undefeated Oregon State on Friday, scoring the game-tying goal and assisting on the game-winner to kick off conference play for the 2021 season.
• Stole an outlet attempt and beat a Beaver defender on the dribble to even the game in the first half.
• Ran down a long ball in the 18-yard box, stealing it from the Beaver defender in front of her and then passing to teammate Penelope Hocking in front of goal for the game-winner in the 85th minute.
• Bethune controlled the midfield all game, making numerous takeaways to help hold the Beavers to just two shots in the second half.

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Chai Cortez, Sr., Oregon (Kahului, Hawaii)
1 game, 110 minutes

• The senior defender helped Oregon become the first team to shut out No. 3 UCLA this season with a scoreless road draw on Friday.
• Matched up with UCLA’s Maricarmen Reyes, who earlier in the week scored a goal for the Mexican National Team in its match against Colombia, and limited her to one shot attempt.
• Friday’s match marked Oregon’s first shutout of UCLA in program history. It was the first time in just over three years that a team had shut out the Bruins at Annenberg Stadium.

GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK: Leah Freeman, So., Oregon (Berkeley, Calif.)
1 game, 6 saves, 0 goals allowed, 110 minutes

• Made six saves as Oregon became the first team to shutout No. 3 UCLA this season in a 0-0 draw.
• The sophomore goalkeeper made back-to-back close-range saves on a UCLA free kick in the 60th minute and then made the save of the night in the 69th minute when UCLA’s Sunshine Fontes got to a ball behind Oregon’s backline, but Freeman charged out of the net to smother Fontes’ head on strike from inside the 18.
• This was Freeman’s third straight shutout and fifth of the season, the second-most in the Pac-12.

ALSO NOMINATED:

Offensive Player of the Week: Quincy Bonds, ARIZ; Nicole Douglas, ASU; Karlie Lema, CAL; Shanade Hopcroft, COLO; Maya Doms, STAN; Summer Yates, WASH; Enzi Broussard, WSU.

Defensive Player of the Week: Ava McCray, ARIZ; Sydney Collins, CAL; Hannah Sharts, COLO; Naomi Girma, STAN; Lilly Reale, UCLA; Zoe Burns, USC, Jessika Cowart, WASH; Mykiaa Minniss, WSU.

Goalkeeper of the Week: Hope Hisey, ARIZ; Katie Meyer, STAN; Anna Smith, USC; Lauren Brzykcy, UCLA; Marissa Zucchetto, WSU.