Arizona Wildcats Women’s Soccer Star Earns Pair of Prestigious Weekly Honors

The Arizona Wildcats women’s soccer team has played two games and already has a weekly award winner in Big 12 action.

Aug 17, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Soccer balls on the field during warm ups before the game between the Columbus Crew and the New York City FC at Lower.com Field. / Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

The Arizona Wildcats joined the Big 12 Conference earlier this month, and after one week of women’s soccer action, veteran player Nicole Dallin has already won two weekly honors.

On Wednesday, the Big 12 named her the conference’s offensive player of the week, the first such honor for Arizona this season and in this new era. Earlier in the week she was named TopDrawerSoccer’s Player of the Week.

Dallin was Arizona’s only preseason All-Big 12 selection.

She and the Wildcats are coming off a 6-8-5 season with a 3-6-2 record in the Pac-12. Arizona is already off to a solid start and is one-third of the way to equaling last year’s win total.

The forward and graduate student from Menifee, Calif., claimed the honors with a huge week in matches against Grand Canyon and Pacific. She scored five of the Wildcats’ six goals in those two matches, with four of those five coming in Arizona’s 5-0 win over Pacific.

In doing so, she became the first Wildcat since 2002 to score four or more goals in one game and leads the nation after the season’s first week.

She also ranks fifth in the nation in goals per game (2.50) and shares the lead in points nationally with 10.

Her performance also moved her up Arizona’s all-time scoring list. She now has 20 career goals, which is eighth in Wildcats history. Her 42 career points is eighth as well.

Dallin is coming off a 2023 in which she played 1,300 minutes and notched career highs in points (20), goals (nine), assists (two), shots (51), and shots on goal (27).

Other honorees in the Big 12’s first week were BYU’s Lynette Hernaez (Co-Goalkeeper), Oklahoma State’s Mollie Breiner (Defensive) and Grace Gordon (Co-Goalkeeper), along with Utah’s Bella Woods (Freshman).

Arizona won their games last week by a combined 6-0, with Shanti Weddington scoring the other goal for the Wildcats. Rose Calkins and Sarah Rice dished out one assist each.

Olivia Ramey started in net during both matches and only needed to save one shot thanks to the Wildcats’ brilliant defense. Her backup, Sofia Cortes-Browne, saved two goals.

Arizona enters the week with a second in-state showdown, this time with Northern Arizona paying a visit on Thursday. After that, the Wildcats make a cross-country trip to face one of the game’s true powers, North Carolina, on Sunday.