Women's Soccer

ACC Announces Women’s Soccer Player of the Week Honors

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (theACC.com) – Duke junior forward Mia Minestrella has been named the Atlantic Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Week, while Stanford senior defender Elise Evans and Wake Forest redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Valentina Amaral were selected as the ACC Co-Defensive Players of the Week for matches played during the opening week of the regular season.

Mia Minestrella, Jr., F, Duke (Redondo Beach, Calif.)
  • Contributed to all three goals in Duke’s 3-2 season-opening victory over No. 11 Penn State on Thursday.
  • Recorded two goals and an assist, including the game-winner in the 57th minute to break a 2-2 tie.
  • One of only eight players in the ACC to record a brace in the opening week of the season.
  • One of just three players in the ACC to post five points in a match this season.
  • Assisted Duke’s first goal in the fourth minute, marking the fifth-fastest season-opening goal in program history.

Elise Evans, Sr., D, Stanford (Redwood City, Calif.)
  • Started at center back in Stanford’s victories over San Francisco (7-0) and No. 16 Santa Clara (5-1).
  • Tallied a pair of assists and helped limit San Francisco to just four shots in the win over San Francisco on Thursday.
  • Scored her first goal of the season off a corner kick in the victory over Santa Clara.
  • Evans was not on the pitch when Santa Clara scored in the 89th minute on Sunday - the lone goal allowed by the Cardinal so far this season.

Valentina Amaral, R-So., GK, Wake Forest (Oviedo, Fla.)
  • Posted back-to-back shutouts in non-conference victories over SMU (2-0) and LSU (1-0).
  • Totaled four saves on the week, including a three-save effort in a home win over LSU.
  • Preserved her second clean sheet with a 90th-minute save on a deflected shot against LSU.
  • One of 10 goalkeepers in the country to post back-to-back shutouts to open the season.

Women’s Soccer Notes
  • ACC teams earned 22 victories on opening weekend, tying the Big Ten for the most in the country.
  • Excluding non-conference matches between ACC teams, the league’s .783 winning percentage is the best in the nation.
  • ACC teams posted a 6-2-2 record against Power Four conference opponents.
  • With Duke’s win over No. 11 Penn State and Stanford’s victory over No. 16 Santa Clara, ACC teams finished 2-1-2 against nationally-ranked opponents last week.