Alabama Soccer’s Pia Rijsdijk Named SEC Offensive Player of the Week

Alabama junior forward Pia Rijsdijk has been selected as the Southeastern Conference Offensive Player of the Week, the league office announced on Monday.

It marks the first offensive player of the week award of her career and her second weekly award after being named the SEC Freshman of the Week for the week of Oct. 24, 2011.

Rijsdijk had a big part in leading Alabama to a pair of home victories over Vanderbilt and Tennessee last weekend.  She scored three goals in the two wins, including the game-winner against the Volunteers.

Rijsdijk recorded her first goals of the year in the win over Vanderbilt on Friday night, finding the back of the net two times to help lead the Tide to a 5-2 victory. On Sunday, Rijsdijk kept the momentum going by scoring in the 31st minute for what would be the eventual game-winning tally in the Tide’s 4-2 win over the Lady Vols.

In large part due to Rijsdijk’s performance, Alabama scored nine goals in back-to-back SEC games for the first time since the 1997 campaign. Additionally, the Tide’s five goals against Vanderbilt were the most by an Alabama team against a league opponent since Oct. 28, 2005 when it defeated Auburn, 6-3.

Alabama will continue SEC play with a pair of games next weekend. The Tide will first travel to Athens, Ga., to square off with the Georgia Bulldogs on Friday night at 7 p.m. ET (6 p.m. CT). Alabama will then return home to take on LSU on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.

Courtesy of Alabama Athletics Communications