By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
COOKEVILLE, Tenn. – Fresh off a banner weekend that featured a pair of double overtime victories, the Tennessee Tech soccer team kept its momentum going after capturing all three weekly Ohio Valley Conference honors Tuesday afternoon. Chloe Smith was named the OVC's Offensive Player of the Week, while Selma Askildsen was recognized as the league's Defensive Player of the Week and Isabelle Austin was awarded as the conference's Goalkeeper of the Week.
Tech's clean sweep of the OVC's weekly accolades marks only the second time in program history in which the Golden Eagles secured all three awards in the same week. Kendall Powell (Offensive), Rachel Blow (Defensive) and Austin (Goalkeeper) took home all three on Oct. 15, 2019. It's also just the second time this season that one school has seized all three weekly distinctions after SIUE picked up all three on Sept. 14.
Smith's OVC Offensive Player of the Week honor comes on the heels of a clutch pair of affairs out of the Cincinnati, Ohio native that saw her register the game-winning assist in Thursday's 2-1 double overtime nod at UT Martin, before Smith split the pipes on a penalty kick for the winner in double OT Sunday against Eastern Illinois. The 5-foot-8 forward notched seven shots in the duo of contests, including three on-goal.
Selma Askildsen tallied her second career OVC Defensive Player of the Week award (Mar. 14, 2021) after not leaving the pitch at any point in the two double overtime wins. The Oslo, Norway native tabbed 214 minutes of action and helped anchor a Tech back line that held UTM to only one goal in nearly 109 minutes after the Skyhawks had scored a combined nine goals in their first three OVC matches. Askildsen then helped lead a TTU defense that yielded just one shot on-frame in Sunday's double OT triumph over EIU.
Isabelle Austin's third career Goalkeeper of the Week accolade (Mar. 14, 2021 & Oct. 15, 2019) comes after the 5-foot-8 senior secured a combined seven stops in Tech's back-to-back victories. Austin halted six Skyhawk tries in Thursday's win, before the Sylvania, Ohio product picked up a save in double overtime in TTU's dramatic nod Sunday vs. EIU. Austin's blanking against the Panthers was her third of the season and ninth clean sheet of her career.
Smith, Askildsen, Austin and the rest of the purple and gold will welcome Belmont to Tech Soccer Field on Tuesday, Oct. 12 in a makeup of a postponed match from Oct. 3. First kick in Cookeville is set for 6 p.m. CT and admission to the match is free of charge.
Photo by Jim Dillon