Soccer News: Danica Evans Named Player of the Week
The W-League announced its Team of the Week for Week 2 of the 2015 regular season, naming Colorado Rush forward Danica Evans as Player of the Week. Evans, the 2014 W-League Golden Boot winner, picked up where she left off with three goals – including the game-winner at Santa Clarita – as the Rush started the season with a pair of road wins.
Evans is joined on the Team of the Week by a pair of teammates – goalkeeper Cassie Miller and defender Kirsten Crowley. Miller made 15 saves in the two wins, while her Florida State teammate Crowley anchored the Colorado defense and added a goal against Arizona.
The Western Conference also produced the other forward selections in Week 2, as the Colorado Pride’s Tara Andrews and 2014 W-League MVP Mele French of the Seattle Sounders Women both tallied two goals and an assist in wins.
Pride defender Sophie Howard earned selection after leading her team to a shutout win at the Colorado Storm to open the season, and she is joined on the back line by Arielle Roy-Petitclerc of the Quebec Dynamo ARSQ, who scored an important goal in a 3-1 win against the rival Laval Comets.
Rounding out the defense is Delaney Savacool of the New Jersey Wildcats, who was key in a 1-0 win against the New York Magic.
The Team of the Week midfield is anchored by Jen Andresen of North Jersey, who scored twice as the Valkyries opened the season with a win for the first time, knocking off the Wildcats 3-2. She is joined by Dayton’s Michele Christy, who scored the only goal as the Dutch Lions moved to 3-0-0 with a 1-0 win against Carolina Elite, and New Jersey’s Caitlin Conway, who scored the goal in the win against New York.
YouTube Live once again serves as the official video platform for the W-League in 2015. Live games from throughout the league as well as team highlights and weekly league videos provide fans a front-row seat during the season.
W-League Team of the Week
| Pos | Player | Team | Highlights |
| GK | Cassie Miller | Colorado Rush | Made 15 saves in pair of wins on road |
| D | Kirsten Crowley | Colorado Rush | Played all 180, scored goal as Rush swept 2-game trip |
| D | Sophie Howard | Colorado Pride | Marshalled defense in shutout win to open season |
| D | Arielle Roy-Petitclerc | Quebec Dynamo ARSQ | Anchored defense, scored goal in 3-1 win vs. Laval |
| D | Delaney Savacool | New Jersey Wildcats | Led Wildcats defense in shutout win at NY |
| M | Jen Andresen | North Jersey Valkyries | Scored twice, defended well in 3-2 win vs. Wildcats |
| M | Michele Christy | Dayton Dutch Lions | Scored GWG, anchored MF in shutout win at Carolina |
| M | Caitlin Conway | New Jersey Wildcats | Scored game’s only goal in 1-0 win at New York |
| F | Tara Andrews | Colorado Pride | Scored twice, added assist in 6-0 win vs. Storm |
| F | Danica Evans | Colorado Rush | 2G in win at Arizona, added GWG at Santa Clarita |
| F | Mele French | Sounders Women | Scored 2 goals, added assist in opening win |
Honorable Mention – Atlanta – Lauren Gorodetsky, Antionette Payne; Carolina Elite – Stephanie Devita; Savannah McCaskill; Colorado Pride – Katy Oehring; Colorado Rush – Celeste Boureille; Dayton – Vanessa Gilles; Laval – Valerie Sanderson; New Jersey – Catherine Chukuka, Jessica Fuccello, Jessica Weeder; New York – Serina Kashimoto; North Jersey – Danielle Schulmann; Quebec – Joelle Gosselin, Gabriele Lapointe; Santa Clarita – Melissa Fernandez, Chloe McDaniel; Seattle – Ashley Clark, Cali Farquharson, Alexandra Jackstadt, Morgan Reuther.
