Oklahoma's Emma Hawkins and Texas' Trinity Byars earned co-offensive honors for Week 1 while BYU's Kendell Petersen shares the first Defensive Player of the Week honors with K-State's Jazmin Brown. Solid performances in the net from Kansas’ Melania Pasar (Goalkeeper) and Iowa State’s Avery Gillahan (Freshman) rounded out this week’s Big 12 soccer awards.

Hawkins netted five of the 10 goals posted by the Sooners in the 2023 opening week. The redshirt senior tied a single-game program record with a hat trick in OU’s 6-0 win over Tulsa while also dishing out an assist to own the single-game record with seven points. Against Tulsa, she scored on all three shots she took. Hawkins ended the week with a brace in the Sooner win (4-2) against Oral Roberts on Sunday. Her efforts helped OU achieve its first 2-0 start since 2019.

Byars scored two goals, including the equalizer, in UT’s last-second (4-3) win at Long Beach State on Thursday. She etched her name in program history with her first goal of that night becoming the fourth Longhorn to score 30 career goals. The junior wasn’t done for the week as she registered her third career hat trick and added an assist during UT’s 6-0 win over Rice, marking her first seven-point game since 2021.

Petersen helped BYU secure a 3-2 win over then-No. 21 Saint Louis and a 4-1 win against Cal State Fullerton. Along with the BYU defense, the senior held the Billikens, who scored the nation’s third-most goals last season, to two goals on 17 attempts (9 SOG). During the match against Cal State Fullerton, Petersen took three shots with one landing on target. In each contest, she also earned an assist.

Brown held a huge role in the Wildcats’ unbeaten opening week, playing all 180 possible minutes on the pitch. The sophomore defender registered her first two career goals in K-State’s 4-1 season opener at Green Bay. She became the second Wildcat to net two or more goals in a season-opening contest. Brown and the K-State defense later held previously-ranked No. 18 Northwestern scoreless on Sunday, securing the Wildcats’ first shutout of the season.

Pasar finished the first week of the 2023 season recording 12 total saves and holding a .923 save percentage. She made a career-high nine saves and posted her fifth career shutout in KU’s 0-0 tie at Wisconsin before grabbing three more saves in the 4-1 win against Loyola Chicago.

In her first week in the net for Iowa State, Gillahan helped the Cyclones post their best start (2-0) since 2015. The freshman tallied three total saves in wins against Arizona (2-1) and Northern Colorado (1-0) while only allowing one goal in 180 minutes of action.

Offensive Player of the Week
Emma Hawkins, OU, F, R-Sr. 
Trinity Byars, UT, F, Jr. 

Defensive Player of the Week
Kendell Petersen, BYU, D, Sr. 
Jazmin Brown, K-State, D, So. 

Goalkeeper of the Week
Melania Pasar, KU, S-Sr. 

Freshman of the Week
Avery Gillahan, ISU, GK