INDIANAPOLIS – Semifinalists Cedarville and Malone each scored respective student-athlete honors for Great Midwest Athletic Conference Women’s Soccer Players of the Week as announced on Tuesday.
 
The Yellow Jackets and Pioneers each emerged out of the quarterfinal rounds along with Walsh and Findlay.
 
Findlay, the top seed and regular season conference championship, will face No. 5 seed Walsh on Thursday, at 5 p.m. ET from Columbus on the campus of Ohio Dominican University. Malone, the No. 7 seed, advanced through PK’s to earn the right to meet No. 3 seed Cedarville in the later contest.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Emily Walton
Cedarville
Midfield
Freshman
Cochranville, PA (21st Century Cyber Charter)
 
A few players from the first-round quarterfinals of the conference postseason scored one goal in their team’s performances. Walton was notable in a 2-1 as she recorded a game winner to lift the Yellow Jackets past No. 6 seed Trevecca Nazarene on Saturday.
 
The Yellow Jackets were boosted by a pair of goals in the first half, one from the foot of Taylor Noll (12’) and later by Walton (32’).
 
It was a long shot from 30 yards out but proved to be decisive as the Trojans scored one goal in the second half in their rally attempt.
 
It was Walton’s only shot of the game as Cedarville had the slight edge, 12-11, in shots. Walton has started three of the nine games appeared in this spring and it marked her first career goal as well.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Jessica Morgan
Malone
Goalkeeper
Junior
Milford, OH (Milford HS)
 
The Pioneers were considerable underdogs going into their matchup against the Panthers of Ohio Dominican, who were already queued up to host the remainder of the women’s tournament.
 
ODU was also runner-up in the regular season standings and had the No. 2 seed. Morgan delivered an incredible performance on the playoff stage as the Pioneers tied the Panthers and came through in a thrilling shootout.
 
The junior keeper had nine saves on 17 shots faced and preserved the shootout total in Malone’s favor at 5-4 with the final save of the night.
 
After barely missing the tournament field in 2017 and 2018, the Pioneers broke through in 2019 with a berth against Findlay. This will be the program’s first semifinal appearance in the women’s soccer conference tournament since joining the Great Midwest as a full member institution.