Aug. 24, 2015
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - San Diego State swept the Mountain West weekly awards after posting a 2-0 record last week, the league announced Monday morning. Freshman Leah Pruitt was named the MW Offensive Player of the Week, while sophomore Stacie Moran earned MW Defensive Player-of-the-Week honors.
A native of Rancho Cucamonga, California, Pruitt played an instrumental role in both of SDSU's victories. In the 6-0 win over Utah Valley on Friday, the forward started and finished with one goal and one assist, while sharing game-high honors in shots (4) and shots on goal (2). Then at No. 16/17 Kentucky on Sunday, Pruitt assisted on both goals to help San Diego State secure the 2-0 victory. In her opening week as an Aztec, Pruitt finished with one goal and led the team in assists (3), points (5), shots (7) and shots on goal (3).
Moran, meanwhile, continued her stellar play from a year ago when she was voted to the all-MW second team as a freshman. The defender started both games and was the only Aztec to play the full 90 minutes in each outing. Against Utah Valley, Moran sent two long, well-placed balls to Aliyah Utush and Angela Mitchell that resulted in goals giving her the first two assists of her career. Two days later at nationally ranked Kentucky, Moran made numerous tackles that erased Wildcat scoring opportunities that eventually led to UK's worst home defeat since 2013. The MW weekly award is the second of her career.
SDSU, which received votes in the preseason NSCAA top-25 poll, will return to action on Saturday, Aug. 29, when it faces No. 18/16 (NSCAA/Soccer America) California. The road test is set for a 2 p.m. PT start in Berkeley and will air on Pac-12 Bay Area.