Missouri Valley Women's Soccer kicked off the season in fine fasion. The combined record of the seven teams stands at 7-3-1 after this weekend's games on Friday and Sunday. When broken down further, Valley teams were 4-2-1 at home and 3-1 on the road. Highlights include Drake's 1-0 victory over Big 12 foe Nebraska and Illinois State's hard fought 1-1 draw against 19th ranked Illinois. Valley teams were not strangers to scoring this weekend either, as seen in UNI's and Missouri State's 5-0 victories on Friday evening.

This past weekend showcased several individual performances as well:

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rachel Tejada - So., F, Illinois State

Tejada scored all three of Illinois State’s goals the opening weekend of the competition that saw the Redbirds go 1-0-1. She scored twice in Friday’s 2-1 win at Southeast Missouri State and converted a penalty kick in Sunday’s 1-1 draw against #19 Illinois. Tejada had game and team highs in shots each game, totaling 10. She fired four shots at SEMO and six against the Illini. Tejada now has 24 career goals, moving her within five of second on the program’s all-time list. She also moved into third place on the career points list, with 57.

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Nia Williams - Sr., D, Missouri State

Williams continued her impressive play and leadership in a pair of solid outings this weekend.  She was part of a backline that allowed UALR just a single shot in Friday night’s season-opening victory.  Additionally, Williams added an assist, serving a perfectly placed corner kick onto the foot of Michelle Sommer for the Bears’ second goal of the night on Friday.  On Sunday, she had one of the Bears’ two shots on goal against UNT.  For the weekend, Williams helped the MSU defense allow just one goal and only five shots on net over the two matches.

MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE GOALKEEPER OF THE WEEK

Aryn Newsom - So., GK, Illinois State

Newsom played all 200 minutes in goal for the Redbirds, registering a victory and draw as the Redbirds moved to 1-0-1. She stopped a total of 13 shots, including a career-high 10 against #10 illinois. Newsom posted a 0.90 GAA over the weekend with a save percentage of .867.          

Other Notable Performances: Ashlie Stokes, Drake; Kristin Cooley, Illinois State; Kalena Litch, Drake