NSU pair repeats, SLU’s Gillette tabbed defensive player of week by Southland

Draguicevich, Aydogmus set program records in 2-0 week; Gillette scores winner from back line

Week Six Notes (PDF)

FRISCO, Texas – Northwestern State’s Olivia Draguicevich and Acelya Aydogmus, along with Southeastern’s Darby Gillette are the Southland women’s soccer players of the week, the league announced Tuesday. Weekly awards are presented by GEICO.

Repeating as Offensive Player of the Week, Draguicevich scored five of the team’s six goals in a 2-0 weekend that included a 2-0 win over UIW on Friday and a 4-0 decision against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday. Her four goals versus the Islanders set a program record for most scores against a conference opponent.

Aydogmus picks up her second-straight and fifth-career Goalkeeper of the Week honor after recording a pair of clean sheets for the Lady Demons, claiming the program record for career shutouts (20). Looking to match last year’s 5-0 start to league play, NSU (4-3-2, 4-0-0 SLC) visits McNeese at 1 p.m. CT Sunday.

Defensive Player of the Week recognition goes to Gillette, who notched the game-winning goal and anchored the Lady Lions’ back line in a 2-0 triumph over HBU on Thursday. SLU (2-5-0, 1-2-0 SLC) heads to the Lone Star State for a pair of conference fixtures against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at 7 p.m. Friday and versus UIW at 1 p.m. Sunday.

Offensive Player of the Week: Olivia Draguicevich, Northwestern State – Junior – Forward – Pflugerville, Texas
Having found the back of the net in each of the team’s four conference matches, Draguicevich sealed a 2-0 win over UIW on Friday after knocking a ball in during a scrum in the box in the 59th minute. She responded with a four-goal performance against A&M-Corpus Christi on Sunday, tallying the most goals by a Lady Demon against a league foe.

Draguicevich scored in the seventh and 10th minutes – both off assists from Kalee Williams – and secured her first career hat trick by the 27th minute. Her final goal came in the 59th minute once again, giving her a league-leading seven goals through four Southland contests. This marks two career weekly honors for Draguicevich.

Honorable Mention: Katie Marker, HBU; Hannah Walsh, UIW.

Defensive Player of the Week: Darby Gillette, Southeastern – Senior – Defender – Meridian, Miss.
Just six minutes into the team’s eventual 2-0 win over HBU, Gillette netted her second goal of the season, converting a Mya Guillory cross to open the scoring. She also led a Lady Lion back line that limited the Huskies to just 10 shots and five on goal. After surrendering eight shots in the opening half, SLU locked in with its two-goal advantage and held HBU to just two shots the rest of the way. This is her first career weekly award.

Honorable Mention: Isabella Beletic, UIW; Emma Herrera, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Goalkeeper of the Week: Acelya Aydogmus, Northwestern State – Senior – Cape Coral, Fla.
Setting a program record with 20 career shutouts, Aydogmus tallied 11 saves across two shutout performances last weekend. Following Draguicevich’s first goal of the weekend to put the Lady Demons ahead of UIW 2-0, Aydogmus made three of her five saves over the final third of the match to secure the clean sheet. She came back out on Sunday with six saves against A&M-Corpus Christi, including four in the opening half.

Honorable Mention: Margaret Kofron, UIW; Nadine Maher, Southeastern.

2021 Southland Women’s Soccer Players of the Week

Date – Offensive / Defensive / Goalkeeper
Sept. 21 – Olivia Draguicevich, NSU / Darby Gillette, SLU / Acelya Aydogmus, NSU
Sept. 14 – Olivia Draguicevich, NSU / Natalee Henry, NSU / Acelya Aydogmus, NSU
Sept. 7 – Havana Johnson, MCN / Martine Ellefsen, MCN / Kennedy Stelling, AMCC
Aug. 31 – Makenzie Maher, SLU / Morgan Schooley, MCN / Emma Roccaforte, MCN
Aug. 24 – Samantha Palomino, AMCC / Keely Morrow, MCN / Emily Levy, AMCC

Southland weekly award winners are nominated and voted upon by each school’s sports information director. Voting for one’s own athlete is not permitted. To earn honorable mention, a student-athlete must appear on 25 percent of ballots.