CEDAR CITY, Utah — Southern Utah freshman goalkeeper Tatum Trout has earned Big Sky Conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording 14 saves and a shutout during the Thunderbirds' matches against Montana and Portland State.
Trout becomes the fourth Southern Utah soccer player to receive the conference's defensive weekly award and the first since Brianna Aldridge on Aug. 28, 2018. She played all 180 minutes during the two matches, allowing just one goal and helping SUU secure its first Big Sky victory since returning to the league.
HEAD COACH STEVEN LINDQUIST SAID
"Tatum continues to be a rock in the back for us this year, the confidence she gives us with not just her shot stopping but her ability to play with her feet makes her an integral part of how we want to play."
NINE SAVES AGAINST MONTANA
Trout began the week with nine saves in Southern Utah's 1-0 loss to defending Big Sky champion Montana on Thursday, Oct. 1, at Thunderbird Soccer Field.
She stopped five shots in the opening half and added four saves after halftime, helping the Thunderbirds keep the match scoreless until Montana's goal at 85:56. Trout finished with saves on nine of the Grizzlies' 10 shots on goal, keeping Southern Utah within reach throughout its conference opener.
PROTECTING THE SHUTOUT AGAINST PORTLAND STATE
Trout followed with five saves as Southern Utah defeated Portland State 1-0 on Sunday, Oct. 4, at Thunderbird Soccer Field. Ashlyn O'Malley scored the winning goal with an assist from Gracen Blieschke, while Trout and the defense kept the Vikings off the scoreboard.
Four of Trout's saves came in the second half, including three in the closing four minutes. She denied attempts at 86:08 and 87:41 before making her final stop at 89:44, preserving Southern Utah's lead with just 16 seconds remaining. The shutout helped the Thunderbirds improve to 4-6-1 overall and 1-1-0 in conference play.
JOINING SUU'S BIG SKY AWARD WINNERS
Trout's recognition marks Southern Utah's fourth Big Sky Defensive Player of the Week award. Previous recipients include:
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Charly Booth — Oct. 16, 2012. Recognized following Southern Utah's 3-0 victory against North Dakota.
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Taylor Bolding — Sept. 30, 2014. Recorded seven saves while helping SUU defeat Sacramento State 2-1 and Portland State 2-0.
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Brianna Aldridge — Aug. 28, 2018. Totaled 12 saves against UNLV and Nevada, including 10 in a 2-0 shutout against UNLV.
Southern Utah's previous Big Sky Offensive Player of the Week recipients are Stacey Brinkman (Oct. 30, 2012), Ally Thimsen (Sept. 2, 2014, shared award), MaKenzie Lawrence (Oct. 29, 2019) and Kate Schirmer (April 12, 2021, during the postponed 2020 season).
Trout's award brings the program's total to eight Big Sky weekly honors, with four offensive and four defensive selections.
NEXT UP
Southern Utah travels to Pocatello to face Idaho State on Thursday, Oct. 8. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. MT.
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