By: Jeff Evans, Assistant AD for Athletic Communications
BELLINGHAM, Wash. – A pair of Western Washington University freshman women's soccer players have been announced as the GNAC Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week for games played September 21-27.
Forward
Madeline Mays earned the Offensive Player of the Week honor scoring five goals in two games and defender
Blake Francis was named the Defensive Player of the Week appearing in all 180 minutes across two shutout performances for the Vikings in matching 3-0 wins over Montana State Billings and No. 23 Seattle Pacific.
Mays (Oak Harbor, WA) scored five of the Vikings six goals during a 2-0-0 performance during the second week of the conference schedule. She opened her collegiate scoring account with a hat trick to fuel WWU's 3-0 win over MSUB on Thursday, staking the Vikings to a 1-0 advantage with a half-volley finish from 12 yards out in the 26th minute. With her team clinging to a narrow advantage with just five minutes left in the match, she struck again twice. She beat a pair of defenders on the dribble before tucking a high shot just under the crossbar from outside the box, and a minute later out-sprinted a defender before a clean, left-footed one-touch finish into the top corner to seal the win.
Mays wasn't finished there, coming back on Saturday with a brace in a 3-0 win over Seattle Pacific in her first rivalry game. She twice got the better of the Falcons' back line, working her way into threatening positions and tucking home two more goals. It took Mays – who came off the bench in both contests – just 94 minutes on the pitch to score her five goals including two game-winners.
"Maddie is improving every day at searching out her moments to impact games. She is a talented kid," said WWU head coach
Travis Connell. "This week she combined that talent with the right moments and helped us get two big wins. It will be exciting to watch her next steps."
While Mays produced the offense, Francis anchored the Vikings defense in helping the team collect two more shutouts. She played the full 90 minutes in both shutout victories, helping the team extend its streak to four consecutive clean sheets. The freshman from Lake Oswego, Oregon has played every minute of the 2026 season, immediately inserting herself into the top defensive lineup in the conference. WWU leads the GNAC and ranks 11th in NCAA Division II with a 0.333 goals against average (3 goals allowed in 9 games).
"For our defending style to be effective, we need players on the back end of our defense that are able to make plays in space," said Connell. "Blake won so many important headers and tackles in our games this weekend at the back of our defense."
The Vikings (5-1-3, 3-0-1 GNAC – 1st place) return to the road this week traveling to play conference games at Western Oregon on Thursday (2 pm) and Saint Martin's on Saturday (3:30 pm).
