Florida's Sarah Chapman Part of Soccer America's National Team of the Week
Tuesday, September 16, 2008 | Soccer
University of Florida's Sarah Chapman is part of Soccer America's National Team of the Week, the outlet announced Tuesday morning. This is the first such honor for Chapman and she is the second Gator to be named to the team in 2008, as redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Katie Fraine was part of last week's list. On Monday, Chapman was recognized as the Southeastern Conference Freshman of the Week.
Chapman's first collegiate goal turned out to be the game-winner, as Florida defeated No. 18 Illinois 2-0 on Sept. 12. Chapman took a hard shot in the middle of the box to bang in her first goal in the 49th minute. The win was Florida's second consecutive versus a National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) top-25 team.
She is the second Florida freshman this season to score a game-winning goal as their first collegiate score (Tahnai Annis was first at Florida Atlantic on Aug. 24). Chapman has started five of the Gators' six matches this season, playing either on the backline or at midfield. She is second among Florida's freshmen with her average of 60 minutes per match.
| Soccer America Team of the Week for Sept. 8-14 | ||
| Name | Pos. | School |
| Brenna Hogue | GK | Brown |
| Brie Kuhne | D | UNLV |
| Dani Raske | D | Binghamton |
| Elli Reed | D | Portland |
| Sarah Chapman | MF | Florida |
| Bianca D'Agostino | MF | Wake Forest |
| Kayla Grimsley | MF | South Carolina |
| Elisabeth Redmond | MF | Duke |
| Lauren Alwine | F | Virginia |
| Amanda Rupp | F | Pepperdine |
| Nikki Washington | F | North Carolina |
Chapman is a 2008 Parade All-American and was listed among the top 20 soccer recruits in the nation by RISE Magazine. She is part of the 16-member Gator freshmen class that is ranked as the nation's No. 8 class by SoccerBuzz.com.
Next up, Florida makes its first trip to the state of Oregon to face perennial power and current No. 6 Portland on Friday, Sept. 19. Match time is set for 9 p.m. (ET) at the Harry A. Merlo Field at the Clive Charles Soccer Complex. The match can be heard live on WRUF AM 850.
