SAN BRUNO, Calif. – For the first time this year, the University of Portland women's soccer team had two Pilots earn WCC Player of the Week honors. Forward Nedya Sawan earned WCC Offensive Player of the Week while goalkeeper Bre Norris took WCC Defensive Player of the Week. It is the first time either player has earned the award.
Sawan's selection comes after what was a dominant week for the sophomore. Sawan scored two goals and had one assist over two games, scoring twice against the San Diego Toreros on Oct. 20 in a 4-1 win and earning an assist in Portland's 2-0 shutout win over the Santa Clara Broncos. Her brace against San Diego was the first time a Pilot had scored multiple goals in a match this season and her five points totaled were the most a Pilot has earned over a week-long stretch this season.
The Oregon native has been one of the best scoring forwards in the WCC this season. Sawan has nine goals on the year and four game-winning goals. Her nine scores is tied for third in the conference while her four game-winners are tied for first. With two assists as well, Sawan has a team-leading 20 points on the year.
Norris earned the nod for defensive player of the week after posting an impressive 12 saves over the week, including eight in Portland's shutout win over the Broncos. It was the most saves by a Pilot keeper since Rachel Lusby had 10 saves in a match against Santa Clara in 2018. It was also the highest total from a freshman Pilot keeper since Cori Alexander had 10 against Texas in 2003.
The freshman from Boise, Idaho has impressed between the pipes for Portland in her first year. Norris has 53 saves, a .768 save percentage and three shutouts on the year. She has three games with at least six saves and six games with at least five saves on the season. She has registered the most minutes played of any freshman keeper in the WCC at 1,260, which is also the highest minute total of any freshman keeper since Alexander back in 2003.
The Pilots will hit the road for sunny Los Angeles this week when they take on the Loyola Marymount Lions this Saturday, Oct. 30. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. Check PortlandPilots.com for live stats and video options.
