Nov. 2, 2009
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State freshman Sarah Halverson has been named Mountain West Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week, the league announced Monday. The award is the forward/midfielder's first of her career and marks the third consecutive week in which an Aztec has been honored.
A Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., native, Halverson had her fingerprints all over San Diego State's 4-1 win at TCU last Friday. In only 22 minutes of action, Halverson came off the bench and produced four points after scoring a goal and assisting on two others to propel the Aztecs to their fifth straight win and help extend their single-season school-record unbeaten streak to 13 games.
With SDSU enjoying a 1-0 lead in the second half, Halverson took a cross from classmate Niki Fernandes and found the back of the net in the 70th minute to give the Aztecs a two-goal cushion. Later in the game's final 10 minutes, Halverson assisted on goals by freshman Megan Jurado and sophomore Taylor Canatsey, which gave San Diego State a 4-0 lead. After SDSU allowed a TCU goal in the 88th minute, Halverson's goal proved to be the game-winner, which was her first of her career.
The freshman's goal matched her career high, while her two assists established a new personal best. Halverson's four points, meanwhile, tied Fernandes and Walker for team-high honors. For the season, Halverson has two goals, three assists and seven points.
The weekly award is the fifth for San Diego State this season, which is the program's most since accumulating five in 2003. Hayley Marsh (def.) earned the award back on Sept. 21, while Fernandes (co-off.) and Aubree Southwick (def.) were recipients on Oct. 19. Seven days later on Oct. 26, Southwick was named defensive player of the week for the second time in as many weeks.
Halverson shares the award this week with BYU's Kassidy Shumway.
The Aztecs (12-3-5; 5-0-2 MWC) return to action on Thursday, Nov. 5, when they play in the semifinals of the Mountain West Championships in Provo, Utah. The game is slated for noon MT/11 a.m. PT and will be televised by The Mtn. SDSU, which is the tournament's No. 2 seed, will take on the winner of Wednesday's quarterfinal matchup between third-seeded Utah and sixth-seeded TCU.