SAN DIEGO – San Diego State women's soccer players Alexa Madueno, a sophomore keeper, and Denise Castro, a freshman striker, have been named the Mountain West's Defensive Player of the Week and Freshman of the Week, respectively, for their efforts in the team's 3-0 victory over the San Diego Toreros last Friday night. The announcement came from the league's office in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Monday.
Madueno, a native of Woodland, Calif., faced a total of 14 shots against the Toreros, five of which reached her line, and turned them all away to notch her second clean sheet of the season.
The 2020 second-team All-Mountain West performer and member of the league's All-Defensive Team, made her first save in the ninth minute, was not tested again until the 47th, and totaled four saves in the second half, including a pair in the last 10 minutes when the Toreros were desperate to get a goal on the board.
Madueno, ranked No. 2 in the nation in saves entering last week and is currently No. 8 (49 saves), ranks No. 1 in the MW in saves and saves per game (7.00), and is No. T-2 in shutouts (2).
This is the first Defensive Player of the Week honor in Madueno's college career and along with Castro, the first weekly conference recognition for the program.
Castro, a native of San Ysidro, Calif., did all the scoring in the 3-0 victory over San Diego on Friday night.
Castro was incredibly efficient in the game. In 70 minutes, she produced four shots, put three on goal and scored every time the ball was on frame.
In the 29th minute, Castro received a pass at the top of the 18, turned and fired a right footed shot low to the far post to give the Aztecs a 1-0 advantage. Then, at the 34:37 mark, she took a cross from the right side of the field and with one touch, turned and fired a shot between the legs of Toreors' keeper to double the Aztecs lead. Finally, in the 55th minute, Castro, who was crashing the goal, took a cross and with one touch of her left foot, she slotted it in for her third goal of the game.
It is the 13th hat trick in program history. Castro is the third freshman to accomplish a hat trick in an SDSU uniform, and the first to do it since Kim Castellanos had a pair of three-goal games in her initial campaign on The Mesa in the 2000 season. The only other freshman to get a hat trick for San Diego State was Lori LaCoursiere who did it in the 1996 season.
Following the weekend's action, Castro leads the Aztecs and Mountain West in goals (5), and her hat trick is the fourth in the league this year.
This is the first Freshman of the Week honor in Castro's college career and along with Madueno, the first weekly conference recognition for the program.
-SDSU-