SAU's Brunson Repeats, VU's Vriens Earns First Women's Soccer Weekly Honor

CHICAGO --- St. Ambrose University's Kaitlyn Brunson (Marion, Iowa) has claimed back-to-back Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors, while Viterbo University's Veerle Vriens (Rosendaal, Netherlands) collected the league's defensive recognition when the awards were announced on Tuesday morning.

Brunson played a role in three of St. Ambrose's five goals in the team's only match of the week, a 5-0 decision over Trinity Christian College on Saturday.  The senior midfielder posted two goals and one assist in the fourth straight victory for the Fighting Bees, who are now 7-5-2 overall and 5-2 versus league competition.

Brunson is tied for first in the conference in both total points (23) and assists (7), while sitting tied for fifth in goals with eight.

Vriens did not allow a goal in her two matches on the week, securing her second and third complete-contest shutouts of the season.  The graduate student has also combined on three other blankings leading to her league-best 0.59 goals-against average.

Vriens stopped three shots in a 2-0 win over Governors State University last Tuesday before totaling seven saves in a 1-0 decision over Indiana University Northwest on Saturday.

Viterbo is 7-5-1 overall and 4-3-1 in league play.

Other Offensive Nominees: Morgan Bean (Governors State), Arianna Barreras (Holy Cross), Litzy Corona (Trinity Christian), Olivia Hansen (Indiana Northwest), Haylie Rodriguez (Indiana South Bend), Louisa Schreiber (Saint Xavier), Evelyn Shaw (Viterbo).

Other Defensive Nominees: Eva Fernandez (Judson), Abigail Goff (St. Ambrose), Jinni Jimenez (Governors State), Isabel Escalera (Indiana Northwest), Abigail Fouts (Holy Cross), Riley Kain (Calumet St. Joseph), Krystal Rodriguez (St. Francis).