SPARTANBURG, S.C. – VMI forward Riley Flanagan and ETSU defender Sydney Somogyi have been named the Southern Conference women’s soccer offensive and defensive players of the week, respectively, for all competition from Aug. 24-30.  
 
Flanagan scored six points in VMI’s pair of matches on the week, notching two goals and two assists as the Keydets went 1-1. The freshman played a part in all three of VMI’s goals in a close 4-3 loss to Iona on Aug. 26 and netted the game-winner in a 1-0 win over Winthrop on Aug. 28. With VMI down 2-0 at the half against the Gaels, Flanagan assisted on a goal by Ella Flickinger, the first of three in a six-minute span for the Keydets. The native of Round Hill, Virginia, added a second assist less than a minute later before netting a goal of her own in the 57^th minute, slipping the ball behind the Iona goalkeeper to give VMI a 3-2 lead. Two days later, Flanagan scored in double-overtime against Winthrop, giving VMI its first win since a 5-0 win at Southern Virginia in the 2020-21 season opener on Feb. 23, 2021, and ending a 13-game losing streak for the Keydets. The win over the Eagles was VMI’s first Division I win since 2019, while the player of the week nod is VMI’s first since goalkeeper CeCi Keppeler 2018.
 
Somogyi, a freshman defender from Germantown, Tennessee, anchored a Bucs defense that held opponents scoreless on the week as ETSU downed Presbyterian 1-0 in the season opener on Aug. 26 and picked up a 1-0 overtime win at UNC Asheville three days later. ETSU posted a pair of shutouts to begin the season for the first time since 2016 and just the third time in program history. Against the Blue Hose, Somogyi and the ETSU defense allowed only two shots in the entire contest, the second-fewest in program history. After not allowing a shot against the Bulldogs in the first half three days later, marking the second straight contest with that feat, Somogyi netted the game-winner in extra time. When a corner kick was punched into the air, she challenged the goalkeeper for the ball, eventually pushing it past her in the 102^nd minute to give ETSU its second straight win. Somogyi is the first freshman to score in a game since 2019.
 
VMI (1-3) hosts Hampton on Thursday, Sept. 2, before hitting the road to face UMBC on Saturday, Sept. 4, while ETSU (2-0) plays at Radford on Thursday in the Bucs’ lone contest of the week.
 
Also nominated for offensive player of the week: Sophie Saldivar (The Citadel), Jasmine Greene (Furman), Lana Whitfield (Mercer), Maddy Gilhool (UNCG), Alyssa Frazier (Samford), Samantha Shaw (Chattanooga) and Kirsten Hahn (Western Carolina).

Also nominated for defensive player of the week: Megan McLaughlin (The Citadel), Miya Poplin (Furman), Lucy Brand (Mercer), Morgan McAslan (Samford) and Melody Mezzina (Western Carolina).  

2021 SoCon Women’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 24       Hannah Farr, So., MF, Furman
Aug. 31       Riley Flanagan, Fr., F, VMI
 
2021 SoCon Women’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 24       Aiyanah Tyler-Cooper, Sr., GK, UNCG
Aug. 31       Sydney Somogyi, Fr., D, ETSU