Aug. 22, 2011

IRVING, Texas - After helping the University of Memphis women's soccer team start the regular season 2-0, senior defender Lizzy Simonin was tabbed the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week as announced by the league office on Monday.

"I thought, for the most part, Lizzy and the defense played well this weekend," head coach Brooks Monaghan said. "Lizzy is our leader back there and it's a credit to her to get this honor, but you also have to credit the defense as a unit with this type of honor."

As a continued force in the back for Memphis, Simonin provided impeccable defense in the two matches for Memphis. Simonin helped Memphis limit opponents to just 16 shots in the first two matches. Simonin found the scoring column in Sunday's win over UALR as she assisted freshman Kylie Davis on the game-winning goal of the match. In the LSU match on Friday, Simonin fired a shot on frame off a free kick.

"I am humbled by the honor, but this honor always goes to the whole defense," Simonin said. "I'm proud of our girls to gut it out and get two wins against two quality opponents this weekend."

Simonin, the reigning C-USA Defensive Player of the Year, earns her third defensive player of the week accolade and fourth player of the week honor in her career. The Lee's Summit, Mo., native picked up defensive player of the week honors twice last season and offensive player of the week honors as a forward in 2008.

With Simonin picking up the weekly honor for week one, the Lady Tigers have had a player of the week for week one of a season in three-straight seasons. The selection is the 13th time a U of M student-athlete has earned defensive player of the week honors. Simonin ties goalkeeper Isabel Birones with the most defensive player of the week selections in program history.

Memphis hits the road for a three-game road trip beginning on Friday at Alabama with kickoff set for 7 p.m. After games at Samford on Aug. 28 and Western Kentucky on Sept. 4, the Lady Tigers return to Mike Rose Soccer Complex on Sept. 9 to face rival Ole Miss at 7 p.m.