Judson U. claims more awards
For the first time this season, Judson University swept the CCAC women's soccer weekly awards. Both senior Samantha Vestal and sophomore Alice Phoneprasith, a Larkin graduate, were given the awards.
This is the third time in four weeks that Phoneprasith has been given the Defensive Player of the Week award. She recorded back-to-back shutouts in the CCAC Tournament to help JU to its first-ever CCAC Tournament championship. JU defeated St. Xavier in a shootout 3-2. In the shootout, she saved two of the shots on goal. In that same match, she recorded a career-high 14 saves. In the championship match, she had 3 saves with all three coming at key times in the match vs. Robert Morris. In eight games played this season, she has allowed just 4 goals in 626 minutes (0.57 goals-against average) and has not been scored upon in her last 246 minutes.
Vestal, who was named the NCCAA National Player of the Week last week, picked up her first CCAC Player of the Week award. In the semifinal and championship matches, she was a key contributor in the wins. Against SXU in the semifinals, she converted the first penalty kick to give JU the 1-0 advantage. Then, in the championship match, she scored both goals in the first half of a 2-0 win over Robert Morris. Overall, she scored three of Judson's five goals in the CCAC Tournament.
Judson will now play Trinity Christian in the NAIA Region VII Tournament on Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Des Moines, Iowa.
Judson men sweep CCAC awards: For the third time this season, Judson University has swept the CCAC Player of the Week men's soccer awards. Claiming the awards are junior Gustavo Oliveira and senior Kyle Selph.
Oliveira, for the second time this season, was given the CCAC Offensive Player of the Week for his offensive accolades vs. Olivet Nazarene. He scored the game-winning goal to make it 2-0 and added the assist on the other tally on the first goal of the match. The assist on the first goal came just six minutes into the contest and provided the Eagles with a lead they would never relinquish. His insurance goal came at the 66-minute mark.
Winning the award for the first time is Selph. He played in goal for the CCAC semi-final match against Olivet Nazarene and held the Tigers to one goal on with only three shots on goal. The goal that ONU scored came in the 86th minute. He now has a 4-0-1 record this season with a shutout vs. Calumet.
Judson will now wait to see what seed it will be in the NAIA Region VII Tournament. The Eagles received a first-round bye and will play in the semifinal match on Monday in Iowa.
JU volleyball finishes regular season: Picking up momentum heading into the CCAC Tournament, the Judson University Eagles (13-22, 3-6) came away with a 3-2 win over Trinity International in the final regular season match of the year Tuesday. With the win, JU moves ahead of TIU for seventh place in the CCAC.
Senior Erin Bultinck led the way for Judson with 16 kills and 25 digs while fellow senior Kym Gagnon added 13 kills and 25 digs. Sophomore Danielle Dull recorded 16 kills and hit .378 and freshman Michelle Weissman had 10 kills.
Defensively, sophomore Debra Leganski had 22 digs and freshman Jessie Fortner blocked 3.5 balls. JU hit .197 in the match for the win and only had three receiving errors.
JU has now won three of its last five matches and now waits to see who it will play in the CCAC Tournament next week.