Photo by: Owen Main | Cal Poly Athletics
Smith Crowned Big West Offensive Player & Freshman of the Week
10/2/2023 3:05:00 PM | Women's Soccer
SAN LUIS OBISPO, Calif. — After an historic performance Sunday, freshman forward Annika Smith received plenty of praise from the conference office Monday.
Smith was crowned Big West Offensive Player of the Week and Big West Freshman of the Week. The honors come on the heels of an incredible week on the pitch by the Scottsdale, Ariz. native, where she posted 7 points across a pair of matches and netted the eighth hat trick in program history.
Smith is the second Mustang in program history to receive both awards in the same week, and just the third in Big West history. This is Smith's second time receiving Big West Freshman of the Week praise. Two weeks ago, she earned the award for the first time after collecting her first collegiate goal and assist during a pair of victories over UC Santa Barbara and Pacific.
In Sunday's commanding 3-1 home win over Big West foe UC Riverside at Mustang Memorial Field, Smith buried goals in the seventh, 30th and 47th minute to earn the first hat trick by a Mustang since Elise Krieghoff — a 2022 Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame inductee — tied a program record with five goals in a 6-1 home victory over Fresno State on Sept. 19, 2014.
This past Thursday, the Notre Dame Preparatory grad also recorded a secondary assist on Peja Balanon's goal in a 2-1 defeat to Cal State Fullerton.
Thanks to her historic day against the Highlanders, Smith now leads the Mustangs in goals (four) and points (10) this season. She has played in 10 of Cal Poly's 11 matches this fall, earning a start in nine of them.
The Mustangs (4-5-2, 2-1-0 Big West) travel to Long Beach State at 7 p.m. Thursday and UC Irvine at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Smith was crowned Big West Offensive Player of the Week and Big West Freshman of the Week. The honors come on the heels of an incredible week on the pitch by the Scottsdale, Ariz. native, where she posted 7 points across a pair of matches and netted the eighth hat trick in program history.
Smith is the second Mustang in program history to receive both awards in the same week, and just the third in Big West history. This is Smith's second time receiving Big West Freshman of the Week praise. Two weeks ago, she earned the award for the first time after collecting her first collegiate goal and assist during a pair of victories over UC Santa Barbara and Pacific.
In Sunday's commanding 3-1 home win over Big West foe UC Riverside at Mustang Memorial Field, Smith buried goals in the seventh, 30th and 47th minute to earn the first hat trick by a Mustang since Elise Krieghoff — a 2022 Cal Poly Athletics Hall of Fame inductee — tied a program record with five goals in a 6-1 home victory over Fresno State on Sept. 19, 2014.
This past Thursday, the Notre Dame Preparatory grad also recorded a secondary assist on Peja Balanon's goal in a 2-1 defeat to Cal State Fullerton.
Thanks to her historic day against the Highlanders, Smith now leads the Mustangs in goals (four) and points (10) this season. She has played in 10 of Cal Poly's 11 matches this fall, earning a start in nine of them.
The Mustangs (4-5-2, 2-1-0 Big West) travel to Long Beach State at 7 p.m. Thursday and UC Irvine at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
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