Juniors Kara Croone and Paloma Daubert have been named the Big Ten Women’s Soccer Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, for the season’s final week. The award is a first for Croone, while Daubert picks up her fourth award of the season.
Croone (Brookhaven, Ga.) recorded her second brace of the season in UCLA's 3-2 win at USC. Croone scored the game's first goal in the 48th minute to break a scoreless tie. After USC had tied the game at 86:06, Croone drew a foul in the box to secure a penalty kick for the Bruins and scored on the PK with just 2:15 remaining on the clock. Croone now leads UCLA in goals (eight), points (17) and game-winning goals (four), all career highs.
Daubert (Rescue, Calif.) scored her first goal of the season, converting a penalty kick in the 66th minute to give UCLA a 2-0 lead in the win over USC, which clinched the No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Tournament for the Bruins. Daubert played the full 90 in the game, as she has for every single game this season, notching 1,620 minutes played in 18 games. UCLA’s defensive unit finished conference play with just seven goals allowed and a 0.58 goals against average in Big Ten games.
The four Defensive Player of the Week awards by Daubert this season are the most by a Big Ten player since Rutgers’ Casey Murphy won a record five times in 2017 and the most ever by a non-goalkeeper. Croone is the second Bruin player to win Offensive Player of the Week honors this season, joining Oruha Hayashi, who won on Oct. 13.
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week: Aug. 18 – Aubrey Kulpa, Penn State; Aug. 25 – Kennedy Bell, Michigan State; Sept. 1 – Nicole Crane, Penn State; Sept. 8 – Elle Britt, Ohio State; Sept. 15 – Kayla Briggs, Michigan State; Sept. 22 – Ella Jablinskey, Michigan; Sept. 29 - Amanda Schlueter, Ohio State; Oct. 6 – Ava Westlund, Minnesota; Oct. 13 – Oruha Hayashi, UCLA; Oct. 20 – Elle Britt, Ohio State; Oct. 27 – Jaiden Anderson, Purdue; Nov. 3 – Kara Croone, UCLA.
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Aug. 18 – Taylor Dever, Oregon; Aug. 25 – Hailey Baumann, Wisconsin; Sept. 1 – Tanna Schornstein, Purdue; Sept. 8 – Sutton Webb, Illinois; Sept. 15 – Maylen Montoya, Washington; Sept. 22 – Paloma Daubert, UCLA; Sept. 29 – Paloma Daubert, UCLA; Oct. 6 – Maya Loudd, Washington; Oct. 13 – Emilia Deppe, Purdue; Oct. 20 – Paloma Daubert, UCLA; Oct. 27 – Millie Greer, Iowa; Nov. 3 – Paloma Daubert, UCLA.
Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week: Aug. 18 – Izzy Lee, Illinois; Aug. 25 – Drew Stover, Wisconsin/Peighton Northrup, Ohio State; Sept. 1 – Mackenzie Gress, Penn State; Sept. 8 – Izzy Lee, Illinois; Sept. 15 – Sarah Martin, Minnesota; Sept. 22 – Malia Zillman, Michigan; Sept. 29 - Nyamma Nelson, Northwestern & Krystina Wolf, Purdue; Oct. 6 – Daphne Nakfoor, UCLA; Oct. 13 – Grace Miller, Purdue; Oct. 20 – Izzy Lee, Illinois; Oct. 27 – Peighton Northrup, Ohio State; Nov. 3 – Peighton Northrup, Ohio State.
Big Ten Freshman of the Week: Aug. 18 – Shiloh Baird, Oregon; Aug. 25 – Zoe Miles, Purdue; Sept. 1 – Molly Hale, UCLA; Sept. 8 – Lilia Calvert, Rutgers; Sept. 15 – Izy Truab, Wisconsin; Sept. 22 – Malia Zillman, Michigan; Sept. 29 – Lilia Calvert, Rutgers; Oct. 13 – Kylie Farmer, Oregon; Oct. 20 – Alyssa Parsons, USC; Oct. 27 – Braelynn Galt, Iowa; Nov. 3 – Ellie Kocher, Penn State.