SACRAMENTO -- After helping her team to a pair of much-needed victories in the Pacific Northwest over the weekend, Sacramento State senior defender Aubrey Goodwill has been named the Big Sky Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week on Tuesday.
Goodwill became the first Hornet defensive award-winner since goalkeeper Katie Price took home the honor back on Sept. 7, 2021, and picked up the third such award of her career, tying her with Amy Seely (2000-03) for the third-most defensive player of the week honors from the conference office in school history. Goodwill shared this week's honor with Northern Arizona defender Rylie Curran, while Weber State's Morgan Furmaniak took home weekly offensive honors.
Playing all 90 minutes on the back line for Sacramento State for the 10th and 11th time this season — including the last eight consecutive matches — Goodwill was instrumental in leading the Hornets' defense while also contributing on the offensive side of the field as well, tallying two crucial assists.
Her first came on Lexi Rakela's game-tying goal in the 49th minute against Eastern Washington, curling a free kick that found the head of Rakela, who headed it home for her first career goal and tie the Eagles at one apiece. Two days later at league-leading Idaho, Goodwill lofted another ball to the back post to the head of teammate Ariana Nino, who bounced it in for her first goal of the season to tie the Vandals at one all — the first of two goals in the final six minutes of the match as Sacramento State defeated Idaho, 2-1.
The two assists give Goodwill a team-high three for the season — along with team high's in goals (four) and points (11) — while upping her career total to 16 helpers in the process, putting her just two shy of Paula Guarda (1994-97) for second on the school's all-time list. The Rescue, Calif., native now has 10 career goals and 16 career assists for 38 points entering the final week of the regular season.
Having already clinched a berth in the Big Sky Conference Tournament, which runs from Nov. 2-6 in Greeley, Colo., the Hornets close out their regular season schedule on the road, traveling to Flagstaff, Ariz., to take on Northern Arizona on Friday (Oct. 21) at 7 p.m.
Currently the No. 4 seed in the conference tournament, Sacramento State can finish as high as the No. 1 seed and as low as the No. 5 seed depending on this week's results. The Hornets were the No. 6 seed in last season's conference tournament, upsetting No. 3 Northern Arizona in the opening round before falling to second-seeded Montana, 1-0, in the semifinals.
