ELMHURST, Ill. – South Dakota State's Nicole Hatcher was honored Monday by the Summit League as the Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week.
Hatcher had two goals for the Jackrabbits last weekend, recording the first score of the match Friday at North Dakota and the game-winner Sunday against Northern Colorado. Hatcher started both games and played 167 of the 200 available minutes. She fired four shots and had two on goal.
The senior's goal against the Fighting Hawks came 4 minutes into the contest, when off a Fighting Hawk clearance, Leah Manuleleua played the ball to the far side of the field for Carina McLennan, who chipped a cross near the right post. Hatcher charged the net and finished on a one-touch goal.
She added another score against UNC in the 76th minute of play, helping the Jacks complete the comeback over the Bears. On its eighth corner kick off the match, an Annie Williams ball was initially cleared by the UNC defense before Bianca Madonia corralled the ball on the left side of the box and hit a low cross through the Bear defense, setting Hatcher up to find the back of the net.
The Sioux Falls native has scored in three consecutive matches and now has 48 points for her career, just eight points shy of the top five on SDSU's career points record list.
This is the third weekly honor for Hatcher in her career after she earned the award twice last year.
