Kansas City, MO – A day after being named the Mid-South Conference Defensive Player of the Week, Patriots goalie Georgia Martell has etched another accolade to her credit as she was named the NAIA Defensive Player of the Week, the national office announced Tuesday.

Martell earned this distinction, based on her standout performance in a week where the Patriots went 2-0-1 against teams that were ranked or receiving votes in the NAIA Top-25 poll. 

"Georgia is playing really well right now," said Head Coach Steve Hamilton.  "She did an incredible job anchoring the backline and distributing the ball under pressure throughout the week."

Facing one of her toughest task as a Patriot, Martell rose to the occasion against a pair of NAIA Top-Ten teams.  The Brisbane, Australia native opened the week making four saves in the second half against seventh-ranked Marian to preserve Cumberlands first shutout of the season.  She made a pair of saves in the final ten minutes as UC earned a 0-0 draw with the Knights.

The sophomore got the nod against third-ranked Central Methodist and came up big for the Patriots tying her career-high with eight saves in the 2-1 win.  The sophomore made five first half saves, including stopping three shots in a two minute span to help the Patriots hold the Eagles scoreless in the first half taking a 1-0 lead in the break.  Martell added three second half saves to close out the game and lead the Patriots to a 2-1 win, there first road win over a NAIA top-five opponent since at least 2001. 

According to Coach Hamilton, one of the keys in the win was Martell's ability to distribute the ball under pressure as Central Methodist applied pressure throughout the game. 

For Martell, this is the second time in her career that she has been named the NAIA Defensive Player of the Week.  The first came on September 28, 2021 after she made eight saves against Cumberland. 

The Patriots will return to the pitch Saturday, September 3 when they face off against fifth-ranked Spring Arbor. The neutral site game is slated for 4 p.m. in Lima, OH with live video of the game available here.

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