Three UCLA women’s soccer players received weekly honors following a successful weekend for the team. Freshman defender and midfielder Grace Shank was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, redshirt freshman forward Bella Winn earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week recognition, and redshirt senior midfielder Emma Egizii was selected to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week.
Shank, from McLean, Virginia, played as a defender in UCLA’s 3-0 shutout victories over No. 5 Iowa and Nebraska. The UCLA defense limited Iowa to a single shot in the 79th minute, and Shank scored her first collegiate goal in the 74th minute. Against Nebraska, Shank and her teammates held the Huskers to five shots, with only two on target. UCLA currently leads the nation in goals against average and has recorded 11 shutouts, the highest in the Big Ten. The team has not allowed more than one goal in any game this season.
Winn was involved in all three goals during UCLA’s 3-0 win over Nebraska, scoring twice and assisting on the third goal. Her two goals came within a span of two and a half minutes, giving UCLA a 2-0 lead by the 29th minute. This was the first multi-goal game by a UCLA player since Egizii’s performance in the 2024 season opener. Winn now leads UCLA in scoring with six goals and 13 points. She is tied for second in the Big Ten and ranks 15th nationally for game-winning goals.
Egizii played a part in four of UCLA’s six goals over the weekend, contributing one goal and three assists, including both game-winners. In the win over Iowa, she assisted on Kara Croone’s opening goal less than two minutes into the match and scored her third goal of the season in the 60th minute. Against Nebraska, Egizii provided two assists, including one on the game-winning goal at 25:38. She currently leads the team with five assists and ranks second in points and goals.
These awards mark the first career Big Ten honors for Shank and Winn, as well as Egizii’s first Team of the Week selection.
UCLA will end its regular season on Sunday, October 26, against USC at Wallis Annenberg Stadium. The match is scheduled for 2 p.m., and tickets are available at uclabruins.com/tickets.
“These are the first career Big Ten awards for Shank and Winn and the first Team of the Week honor for Egizii.”
