The Great Lakes Valley Conference released its weekly award winners on Monday, Oct. 13 with the University of Wisconsin-Parkside's
Niekie Pellens becoming the third Ranger this season to land Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
The sophomore sport management major snags the award after playing all 180 minutes last weekend, helping the 13th-ranked Rangers (10-0-2, 8-0-2 GLVC) post a pair of road shutouts to remain atop the league standings. Against Maryville University on Friday, Pellens anchored a defensive backline that yielded just three shots, including only one on goal in the squad's 2-0 win. Two days later, the Dutch national was part of a defensive unit that allowed just three shots on target in a 4-0 drubbing of host University of Missouri-Saint Louis.
Pellens additionally contributed on the offensive end against UMSL, earning an assist on the game-winner in the 12th minute while tallying her GLVC-leading ninth assist of the year in the 56th minute. The sophomore capped off the game with a goal in the 80th minute, her first score of the season.
Pellens is the third Ranger to win Defensive Player of the Week honors this season, following in the footsteps of
Emily Konior (Sept. 22) and
Karley Mecko (Sept. 8). Pellens, Konior and Mecko have helped UW-Parkside tally shutouts in 10 of the 12 games this season while outscoring opponents by an impressive 30-2 margin.
