Michaela Michael named Offensive Player of the Week


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The MPSF awarded women’s lacrosse senior attacker Michaela Michael Player of the Week honors for the fourth consecutive week on Monday after USC cruised to two home victories over the weekend against Oregon (17-7) and San Diego State (15-3).

Michael’s fourth Offensive Player of the Week nod of the spring ties her program record for awards in a single season, which she set in 2016. Monday also marked the ninth time in her four-year career that Michael has received such recognition. Her total 10 career awards (including one Rookie of the Week nod in 2014) is also a team record.

The Hillsborough, Calif. native is enjoying the most productive offensive season of her career in 2017 (53 goals, 14 assists, .646 shot percentage), and Michael padded her impressive stats last  week in victories over the Ducks and Aztecs.

Against Oregon, Michael was as dominant in midfield as she was in the offensive zone. Her 11 draw controls put her at 93 on the year, which ranks fourth in MPSF single-season history with three games left to play before the start of postseason play.

Along with notching her eighth career double-digit draw control game, Michael also collected six goals and two assists in last Friday’s game along with a ground ball and caused turnover.

Against San Diego State on Saturday, Michael controlled six draws and tied her career high in goals, slipping seven past Aztec goalie Katrina Reeves on just nine shots.

With 13 goals in two games, Michael earned her program-record 35th and 36th career hat tricks, and she has now scored six or more goals in the same game seven times in her career. The former High School All-American is now second in MPSF history for career goals (209) and fourth place in points (273). She is on pace to break her career bests in goals and points this season if she keeps up her historic offensive pace.

The Trojans have earned eight weekly honors in 2017, bringing their program total to 31 with 13 offensive awards, 10 defensive awards and eight rookie of the week honorees.

No. 9 USC (11-3, 5-0 MPSF) is back in action this Friday, as the Trojans will host the
sixth-ranked Colorado Buffaloes (12-1, 4-0 MPSF) at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.