2025 MIAC WOMEN'S SOCCER ATHLETES OF THE WEEK

MINNEAPOLIS -- Augsburg University women's soccer forward Jayla Ponce (SR, Kuna, Idaho/Kuna HS) and goalkeeper Claire Smothers (SO, Iowa City, Iowa/Iowa City HS) were named Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Athletes of the Week on Monday, Ponce on offense for the second time this season and fifth time in her career, and Smothers on defense for the second time in her career.

Ponce scored three of Augsburg's five goals on the week, as Augsburg claimed a pair of victories to improve to 7-5-0 overall and 4-2-0 in MIAC play. On Monday, she scored a goal in the 28th minute in Augsburg's 1-0 win at Macalester. On Saturday, she scored two goals in the Auggies' 4-0 win over Hamline, her 11th career multi-goal game and fourth of the season.

Ponce now has 12 goals and three assists for 27 points on the season, tied for the MIAC lead in goals scored and in total points. In 67 career games, Ponce now has 41 goals and 27 assists for 109 points.

Goalkeeper Smothers stopped all eight shots she faced in two straight shutout victories during the past week, extending her shutout streak to three consecutive games. On Monday, Smothers had four saves, including two key saves in the final 10 minutes of play, in the Auggies' win at Macalester, and on Saturday, she had four saves in Augsburg's win over Hamline, the Auggies' fifth shutout victory in its last six games.

Smothers is now 5-5-0 with four individual shutouts, a 1.16 goals against-average and a .732 save percentage on 30 saves in 855 minutes.

Augsburg returns to action with an MIAC game against Bethel University on Tuesday (10/14) at 7:30 p.m. at Edor Nelson Field.