Cortes Named Mountain West Player of the Week
Senior Sophie Cortes nabs league’s Offensive Player of the Week honor after scoring three goals in pair of UNLV wins.
Aug. 28, 2017
LAS VEGAS (UNLVRebels.com) – UNLV women’s soccer captured the Mountain West Offensive Player of the Week honor for the second straight week as senior Sophie Cortes earned the award after a three-goal performance over the weekend. The midfielder’s play helped the Rebels improve to 4-0, matching the program-best start set just a year ago.
Cortes, a Newhall, California, native, became a full-time starter in 2016 and has been the engine in the UNLV attack this season. In Friday’s match against Utah Valley, the Rebels found themselves in a 1-0 hole three minutes into the game, but Cortes didn’t let it stay like that for long, tying it up at one in the 17th minute. UNLV went on to win the game with under three minutes remaining in double overtime on a header golden goal by fellow senior Chidera Akubuilo. In Sunday’s contest with Southern Utah, Cortes scored two goals 13 minutes apart to put the Rebels up 3-0 just after halftime, with the two scores ultimately providing the final margin of victory in the 3-1 win. After scoring four goals and registering six assists all of last year, the senior has already scored four goals and collected three assists through the first two weeks.
This is Cortes’ first career league honor and is UNLV’s 49th overall.
The Rebels (4-0) are heading out on the road for the first time in 2017, traveling to Northern California to face Sacramento State on Friday, September 1 at 2:30 p.m. PT and UC Davis on Sunday, September 3 at 1 p.m. PT.
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