By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. –Thanks to a history-making performance in Sunday's 4-0 win over Purdue Fort Wayne, sophomore Kendall Powell has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week. Powell, who received the honor Tuesday afternoon, recorded a hat trick in Tech's impressive victory over the Mastodons that guided the Golden Eagles to a split in their weekend road trip up north.
The Cookeville native's three-goal effort made her just the fourth player in program history to record a hat trick and first since Jen Hoffman accomplished the feat back on November 5, 2009. Overall it is just the seventh occurrence in school history. TTU Hall of Famer Jill Burns registered four hat tricks in her career and Tania Desmarais is responsible for the other Tech hat trick, achieving the distinction on October 6, 2001.
Powell's offensive outburst helped pace a Golden Eagle attack that produced four goals for the first time since a 4-1 victory at UNC Asheville on August 28, 2011. The dynamic sophomore's five shots led all players in the match, and with the three scores, Powell is currently second in the OVC with four goals this season.
The weekly honor is the first for the Golden Eagles in season's first three weeks.
Powell and the rest of the purple and gold will be at home for a pair of weekend matches that will put a lid on the club's non-conference slate. TTU will host Troy on Friday, Sept. 7 at 7 p.m. CT before welcoming the University of Tennessee to Tech Soccer Field on Sunday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. Both matches are free of charge.
Photo by Thomas Corhern, TTU Sports Information