The Shadow
NEW ORLEANS, Va. (VR) – James Madison women’s soccer players Ginny Lackey and Selma Rajakangas have been named the Sun Belt’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, the conference announced Tuesday afternoon.
The recognition marks the third time the Dukes have won both awards in the same week since joining the Sun Belt, with the last coming in 2024. The award marks Lackey’s second weekly laurel of the season and the fifth of her career, as Rajakangas grabs her first of the season and the second of her career.
The Dukes won their lone match last week, taking down Louisiana Tech 3-1 at Sentara Park in conference play on Thursday, Oct. 15. The result moved the Dukes to 6-1-0 in conference play and makes them unbeaten in seven of their last eight contests.
Lackey led the Dukes with a pair of goals and an assist against the Bulldogs, tallying her third brace of the season and marking her eighth straight match with a goal. The Bolton, Manchester, England native leads the conference in goals (13), game-winning goals (6), and points (29).
Rajakangas contributed a pair of assists during JMU’s victory, the first game of her career in which she recorded multiple assists. Additionally, the second year started on a backline that held Louisiana Tech to six shots, less than half its single-game average. Through conference play, the JMU defense has held its opponents to only five goals to the Dukes’ 18.
