By Dylan Vazzano, TTU Sports Information
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. – Another week and another award for the Tennessee Tech soccer team, as Selma Askildsen was recognized as the OVC's Defensive Player of the Week Tuesday afternoon, marking Tech's third weekly accolade over the last four weeks.
Taylor Rhodes collected the club's first such honor after she was named the league's Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 20 thanks to a game-winning goal in the conference opener at EIU, while Emily Carlevato claimed the OVC's Defensive Player of the Week award on Sept. 27 for her efforts in helping lead the purple and gold to back-to-back shutouts over Southern Indiana and Lindenwood.
Askilden's accolade is the third such award of her career after being named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Week on Mar. 14, 2021 and Oct. 12, 2021.
The 5-foot-8 junior played a significant role in a stellar defensive showing that helped carry TTU to a crucial 2-0 shutout win over SIUE in a battle of OVC unbeatens on Oct. 6 at Tech Soccer Field. Askildsen tallied all 90 minutes of action and assisted in anchoring a Golden Eagle defense that yielded only eight SIUE shots, with just four attempts in each half to pick up the clean sheet.
Tech's stingy defense has surrendered only two goals in five OVC matches, highlighted by blankings in four of the five league contests.
At 3-0-2 in conference play, the Golden Eagles are currently sitting in a three-way for first place in the OVC behind 11 league points. The five-match unbeaten streak marks the first time in program history in which Tech has started conference action with five consecutive unblemished affairs.
Askildsen and the rest of the purple and gold will prepare for critical OVC bout on Sunday, Oct. 16, as the Golden Eagles will welcome Southeast Missouri to town on Senior Day in the third-to-last match of the regular season. Kickoff with the Redhawks is slated for 1 p.m. CT and admission to Tech Soccer Field is free of charge.
Photo by Jim Dillon