The athletic programs at Ashland University have not skipped a beat since the beginning of the 2023-24 fall campaign as for six straight weeks Eagle athletes have been recognized for their contributions on the pitch.
On Monday, Oct. 9, the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) released its GMAC Player of the Week (POTW) awards, with men’s soccer forward Vander Rocha, men’s soccer goalkeeper Ty Bowden, women’s soccer forward Dani Hicks and volleyball libero Katie Thompson being honored for their play this past week.
Both Thompson and Bowden have now won the award for multiple weeks in a row, with Thompson cleaning the awards since Sept. 25.
Rocha and Bowden received their honors after the men’s soccer team dominated in conference play this past week, going 2-0 against the likes of Lake Erie and Thomas More. The team gave up just one goal through those two outings while piling on four.
Bowden was able to make six saves against the Storm and five against the Saints, while also recording his first clean sheet of the season. Since returning from injury, he has led the Eagles to a four game win streak, with the team’s last lost occuring on Sept. 21.
On the offensive side, Rocha has been on another level for the Eagles as he knocked in three goals over the course of two contests, racking up a team-high six goals on the season. Alongside his prowess to find the back of the net, he has attributed three assists for the team.
They look to stay at home to take on the Tiffin University Dragons on Wednesday, Oct. 11, with kickoff set for 6:30 P.M. at Ferguson Field. The two sides will battle for first place in the conference.
For the women’s soccer team, Hicks continues to be one of the top offensive threats in the conference as she helped lead the Eagles past the Storm and Saints this past week to keep the team’s undefeated record alive.
Her performances included three goals, with one being the game winner, to bring her yearly total to eight. She now needs just one more goal to tie her freshmen season total. The Eagles have recorded 31 goals on the season while allowing three.
The Eagles sit 10-0-1 on the season and 6-0-1 in conference play as they prepare to take on the Dragons on Wednesday, Oct. 11, with kickoff set for 3:3o P.M.
On the courts, the Eagle volleyball team has found tremendous success under first-year Head Coach Katie Kuhn as they sit in first place in the GMAC South Division with a 15-4 overall and 9-1 conference play record.
Thompson, who has been the teams star libero for the past few seasons, has continued her hot play this season. She has won the conference’s POTW award for three straight weeks, marking her stellar play.
This past week, the Eagles took down the Ursuline Arrows, Dragons and Storm, losing just one set while winning nine. Thompson was a key catalyst in the three wins, as she recorded a team-high 46 digs, 11 assists and four services aces.
Through the midway point of the fall campaign, she sits No. 9 in the nation at the Division II level in digs on the season with a total of 348.
With the team finding its groove, they look to the Midwest Region Crossover Tournament where they will take on the Quincy Hawks in the first round on Friday, Oct. 13, with game time set for 2:00 P.M.
