2023 Michigan Women's Soccer Awards and Honors
6/14/2024 1:53:00 PM | Women's Soccer
• Michigan Quintet Garners All-Big Ten Accolades (Oct. 27)
Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week (Sept. 19) -- Senior Stephanie Sparkowski was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week for the second straight week thanks to her performance in Michigan's 1-0 victory over Minnesota on Friday (Sept. 15). The East Meadow, N.Y., native stopped five shots in U-M's Big Ten-opening win over the Gophers, highlighted by a penalty-kick save in the second half. She ranks No. 13 in the nation in save percentage (.896) as well as No. 12 in the land and tops in the Big Ten with five clean sheets. Her goals-against average is No. 41 at .625 goals/game, and she also has allowed only two goals in the last five matches. Sparkowski is the first Wolverine in program history to earn a Big Ten weekly honor in back-to-back weeks. » Big Ten Release
Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week (Sept. 12) -- Senior Stephanie Sparkowski has been named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week for her performances in U-M's victories over No. 11 Notre Dame and Western Michigan. U-M is coming off a week where she stopped 16 shots against only two goals allowed. Overall, she ranks 42nd nationally in saves per game (5.43), and her four clean sheets on the season are No. 16. She re-set her career best in saves against Western Michigan with nine stops and leads a Wolverine defense that has conceded only five goals through seven matches. The last Wolverine to earn Big Ten Player of the Week honors was Jenna Lang (Freshman of the Week), while the last goalkeeper to take home the award was Hillary Beall on Oct. 5, 2021. » Big Ten Release
Big Ten Preseason Players to Watch, Preseason Poll (Aug. 15) -- Junior Avery Kalitta and sophomores Jenna Lang and Aniyah League were named Michigan's 2023 Preseason Players to Watch.
Kalitta, one of the top holding midfielders in the conference, boasts 27 starts in 42 matches played in her U-M career. Last season, she started all 18 matches and totaled 1,355 minutes of match action. She is a former member of the Big Ten All-Freshman team (2021), and also was named a Big Ten Player to Watch last season.
Lang will look to step into a central attacking starting role in 2023 after playing in 17 matches off the bench and logging 410 minutes played. She played the hero in U-M's 3-2 win over Rutgers on Oct. 20, scoring a pair of goals.
League stepped in for an injured Jayde Riviere last season, starting all 15 matches played at right back. Overall, she logged 1,087 minutes, and will play a leadership role on the back line as a sophomore.
Michigan was picked to finish eighth in the conference preseason coaches poll. Penn State topped the poll, and the top three was rounded out by Northwestern and Rutgers. The Nittany Lions will visit Ann Arbor on Sept. 28. » Big Ten Release
