CLEVELAND – App State junior
Sophia Baxter was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week, the conference announced Tuesday.
The honor follows a great weekend against MAC opponents Bellarmine and No. 18 James Madison, both ending in wins for the Mountaineers.
Against Bellarmine, she was all over the field, scoring a goal to seal the 2-0 shutout win over the Knights. She helped anchor a defense that held the Knights to zero shots for the game, limiting all scoring chances in the road matchup.
In the win over No. 18 James Madison, she scored her eighth goal of the season while also sprinting back to limit multiple breakaway chances for the Dukes. Her defensive effort limited them to eight shots on goal compared to the Mountaineers' 16, helping push the Mountaineers to a national ranking of No. 17.
This is the second Player of the Week honor Baxter has received this season; she earned her first honor after her performance against Davidson on Sept. 9.
The Mountaineers will look to continue their momentum as they host Miami (Ohio) in a conference matchup on Friday. First touch at the Dr. Jan C. Watson Field at the Brandon & Erica M. Adcock Field Hockey Complex is slated for 3 p.m.
