NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin announced Ava Mapes of Illinois Wesleyan University and Lauren Richards of North Central College as the winners of this week’s CCIW Women’s Soccer Offensive and Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week awards, respectively.
Mapes was a force up top for the Titans, scoring five goals with one assist in a week in which Illinois Wesleyan went 2-0-1. Richards had the opposite effect on opposing offenses, shutting down a ranked Calvin University squad and notching another shutout against Centre College.
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Offensive
Ava Mapes, Illinois Wesleyan (Forward, Senior, Golden, Colo.)
Following two draws to start the year, Illinois Wesleyan stayed unbeaten on the season this past week due in large part to the play of Ava Mapes. Her week started with a 4-0 defeat of Wartburg College in which she assisted on one goal and scored another within a minute of each other in the second half. At Dominican University, her goal in the 88th minute earned the Titans a hard-fought draw, 1-1. Mapes then finished the week with a hat trick in a 6-1 romp over Westminster College (Mo.), scoring the opening goal on a penalty kick in the 16th minute and adding two more in the 62nd and 66th minute.
Mapes finished with 13 shots in the two matches, with nine winding up on target.
Defensive
Lauren Richards, North Central (Defender, Senior, Elmhurst, Ill.)
A stingy North Central defense helped the Cardinals to a 4-0 victory over No. 17 Calvin University and a 3-0 defeat of Centre College this past week. Richards was at the center of the effort from her spot on the back line, allowing only two shots on target from the Knights and one from the Colonels. On top of those three combined shots on target from their opposition this past week, the Cardinals also allowed just three corner kicks combined as they ran their record to 4-0-0 to open the season.
2026 CCIW Women’s Soccer Student-Athletes of the Week
Offensive
Sept. 8: Jordan Lange, North Central
Defensive
Sept. 8: Ava Lewandowski, Carroll
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The College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) was founded in 1946 and currently services nine member institutions including Augustana College (Rock Island, Ill.), Carroll University (Waukesha, Wis.), Carthage College (Kenosha, Wis.), Elmhurst University (Elmhurst, Ill.), Illinois Wesleyan University (Bloomington, Ill.), Millikin University (Decatur, Ill.), North Central College (Naperville, Ill.), North Park University (Chicago, Ill.) and Wheaton College (Wheaton, Ill.).