SAN RAMON, Calif. - University of California San Diego sophomore striker Mary Reilly (Chula Vista/Hilltop HS) was announced Tuesday as the California Collegiate Athletic Association (CCAA) Women's Soccer Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 19-25.
Reilly was virtually unstoppable in a 3-1 home win over Chico State on Sunday afternoon as now-eighth-ranked UC San Diego swept its two-game week to finally begin conference play. She assisted on the Tritons' first two goals in the second half to give them a 2-0 advantage. With the lead down to one at 2-1, Reilly clinched the full three points with her fourth goal of the year in the 87th minute, a rousing effort in which she beat her defender dribbling into the penalty area, and shot right-footed from the right diagonal into the left-side netting.
Reilly now has a share of the CCAA lead with a team-best five assists. Her season-high six shots against Chico State led all players. She also started in a 4-0 triumph at cross-county foe Cal State San Marcos in UCSD's conference opener last Wednesday, Sept. 21. The Tritons have won three in a row.
Reilly is the second Triton to earn the distinction over the first four weeks of the season, with junior strike partner and fellow local product Katie O'Laughlin (Carlsbad/Pacific Ridge School) chosen as the initial CCAA Player of the Week for 2016 back on Sept. 6 following her first collegiate hat trick.
Reilly is a first-time honoree for her career, having not been selected a year ago despite an incredible rookie campaign that saw her lead the league in virtually every offensive category and pick up the CCAA Freshman of the Year award.
Reigning and record nine-time CCAA Tournament champion UC San Diego (6-2, 2-0 CCAA) remains in home action this weekend, awaiting a marquee matchup in primetime with defending CCAA regular-season victor and 19th-ranked current leader Sonoma State (6-1-1, 4-0 CCAA) this Friday night, Sept. 30. Kickoff at Triton Soccer Stadium is slated for 7 p.m., following the men's game at 4:30 p.m. Admission is free, with a high-definition, multi-camera video broadcast on UCSDtritons.tv.
The rivals split their two meetings a year ago, with the Tritons taking the more important of the two. Sonoma State won the regular-season matchup, 1-0 at home, before UCSD stunned the then-10th-ranked and top-seeded Seawolves, 3-0, in the semifinals of the CCAA tourney in Pomona on Nov. 6. SSU had entered that contest an unbeaten 12-0-3 over its previous 15, and having allowed just five goals all year.
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