STATESBORO, Ga. – Georgia Southern goalkeeper Katie Merson added to her list of accolades on Wednesday when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America named Merson its Women’s Player of the Week. The award, sponsored by Disney Soccer, is the first national award for Merson, a native of Albuquerque, N.M.

Merson led the Eagles to the program’s first Southern Conference Championship last week and earned the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award. The junior made six saves in the championship game and has not allowed a goal in her last 402 minutes. She enters the NCAA tournament with 10 shutouts on the year.

Merson was also named to the Primetime Players of the Week by CollegeSoccer360.com. She is the second Eagle to receive that honor in as many weeks, joining Nora El-Shami on the honor roll.

The Eagles open the 2012 NCAA Women’s Soccer Championships on Saturday at 7 p.m. against No. 3 seeded Wake Forest in Winston-Salem, N.C. The match can be seen for free on WakeForestSports.com.