GREENSBORO, N.C. (theACC.com) – Louisville freshman midfielder Emina Ekic has been named this week’s Atlantic Coast Conference Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, while North Carolina junior defender Julia Ashley is this week’s ACC Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Ekic played a role in all three Louisville goals to lead the Cardinals to a 3-1 win over instate rival Kentucky on Friday, Sept. 2. Ekic put the Cardinals on the board in 21^st minute as Louisville was awarded a free kick just outside the box. In the 42nd minute, Ekic took a corner kick and placed it to Alison Price who slipped it past the keeper for a 2-0 Louisville lead.  Ekic, a Louisville native, scored the final goal of the game in the second half after Brooklynn Rivers’ shot hit the post and Ekic gathered the rebound and blasted her shot past the keeper for a 3-0 lead in the 55th minute. 
 
Ashley was the outstanding defensive player on the field in the Duke Nike Classic as she led North Carolina to a 5-0 win over Auburn and a 2-0 victory over UNCW.  Ashley played 80 minutes in UNC’s win over Auburn and then went the full 90 in the shutout win over the Seahawks.  North Carolina’s defense limited both Auburn and UNCW to just two shots as the Tar Heels finished with a 46-4 shot margin on the weekend.  The Tar Heels also held the Seahawks without a corner kick and allowed only one by the Tigers for the game.  In North Carolina’s win over UNCW, Ashley assisted on Sydney Spruill’s game-winning goal in the 10th minute of play.
 
The latest Soccer America Top 25 has seven ACC teams ranked, with six in the top 12. Virginia leads the way at No. 6 followed by No. 7 Wake Forest, No. 8 Florida State, No. 10 North Carolina, No. 11 Duke, No. 12 Clemson and No. 21 Notre Dame.