MELBOURNE, Fla. – In the second week of the Sunshine State Conference (SSC) Weekly Awards, Florida Tech swept the women's soccer honors with freshman Sara Batchadji being tabbed the Offensive Player of the Week and senior Ayana Aoyagi earning Defensive Player of the Week, as announced by the league on Monday afternoon.
 
This is the first time that both players have earned the award this season and it is the first time for both of their careers. It is the second Offensive Player of the Week this season for the Panthers after Marem Ndiongue earned the award on Sept. 4.
 
Batchadji played a major role for Tech in its two games this past week. First, on Wednesday, the freshman came off the bench in a 0-0 game and scored the game-winner in the 81st minute off a free kick from outside the box. Just five minutes later she put the game away with a penalty kick goal to give the Panthers a 2-0 win over PBA. Batchadji scored both goals in just 17 minutes of time on the pitch.
 
Then on Saturday against No. 2 Embry-Riddle, Tech was behind 1-0 with just under a minute to play in the first half. Batchadji fielded a perfect pass from teammate, Lauryn Wood, in the box and deposited her shot into the back of the net to tie the game at 1-1. Her goal proved to be the final score in the match as the Panthers battled the second-ranked Eagles to a 1-1 draw.
 
Aoyagi captained the Panther defense to a third consecutive shutout to begin the 2023 season against PBA. The senior came up big with two diving saves to keep the match scoreless until Batchadji gave Tech the lead in the final 10 minutes.
 
The Australian native had a career game against No. 2 Embry-Riddle. Aoyagi survived a flurry of shots in the opening minutes of the match, with two clutch saves before she surrendered her first goal of the season in the 29th minute. She then kept the Eagles' offense at bay in the second half and made three more saves, including a game-saving stop in the 88th minute to secure the 1-1 draw. Aoyagi's five saves in the match were a career-high for the senior.
 
The women's soccer team is back in action at home on Wednesday, Sept. 13 against Lenoir-Rhyne. Opening kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Rick Stottler Field.
 
For the latest news, updates, and information on the Florida Tech women's soccer team, visit FloridaTechSports.com. Fans can also stay up to date on the latest Panthers news by following Florida Tech Athletics on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.