SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Contributing to both the Hornets' high-powered offense and a stingy defensive effort during an undefeated weekend, Sacramento State seniors Abigail Lopez and Sydney Sharts earned at least a share of Big Sky Conference weekly honors, the league office announced on Tuesday.
Lopez was named the co-offensive player of the week for the second time in her career, sharing the award with Northern Arizona's Haylee Phoenix, while Sharts was named the conference's defensive player of the week for the first time in the green and gold.
It is the first time that a Sacramento State duo has won at least a share of both awards in the same week since Skylar Littlefield won offensive honors and Aubrey Goodwill took home defensive laurels on Feb. 22, 2020.
Helping spearhead an offense that exploded for seven goals combined in wins over Idaho State (4-1) and Weber State (3-0), Lopez finished with a goal and a pair of assists on the weekend, cementing her atop the Hornets' scoring list with three goals, three assists, and nine points overall.
Her goal against the Bengals capped a huge win that saw Sacramento State post a season high in goals and the most in a single match since outscoring Eastern Washington, 4-2, in 2021. Two days later, she assisted on the Hornets' final two goals of the day in the shutout of the Wildcats — the first time in her career that she has finished with multiple assists in a match.
Lopez's three assists this year are a career high and her 35 career points after the two performances have her one shy of the school's all-time top 10. Her 14 career goals after the match against Idaho State moved her into a tie for eighth on the school's career chart, tying her with Elece McBride (2008-12).
Meanwhile, Sharts was pulling double duty all weekend, starring at both ends of the field. On the back line, Sharts was a stingy defender, helping lead a defense that limited the Bengals and Wildcats to a combined seven shots on goal total and only one goal — which didn't even come from the run of play as Idaho State scored on a penalty kick in the 63rd minute with Sacramento State up 3-0.
At the other end of the field, Sharts came up and scored the first two goals of her Hornet career, including the eventual game-winner over Idaho State. The goal against the Bengals came off a set piece as Cassandra Herrman lofted a perfectly placed corner to the top of the six in the 20th minute. She added a second header in the win over Weber State, sending home a chipped cross from Lopez in the 30th minute that made it 2-0 at the time.
Unbeaten at home in six matches (4-0-2) this season, Sacramento State's offense combined for seven goals by five different players (including an own goal). It is the most scored in back-to-back matches since the Hornets put up the same number of goals against the same two opponents on Oct. 13 and Oct. 15, 2017, swamping the Bengals, 6-3, before battling to a 1-1 draw with the Wildcats.
It also marked the first time that Sacramento State had scored at least three goals in back-to-back matches since a 4-3 loss to Nevada and a 9-0 shutout of Menlo College on Sept. 10 and Sept. 12, 2010.
The Hornets have only one match this week, continuing their four-match homestand with a 1 p.m. kick-off against Northern Colorado on Sunday (Oct. 13).
