Castanon's seven-point weekend leads to Heart Offensive Player of the Week Honor

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - In the second week of nominations to start the 2022 sesaon, Clarke University women's soccer player Reese Castanon earned the Heart of America Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week honor, Heart officials announced Monday afternoon.

Castanon was the crucial offensive piece for the Pride in their 2-2 draw against Trinity Christian College on Friday and again in their 3-1 win over Iowa Wesleyan University on Sunday as she found herself on the scoresheet on all but one of the five goals scored by CU in those games.

All of her goals came in the second half of those games and three the four goals were game-tying goals at the time as she assisted on Genevieve Cruz's goal to make it 1-1 against Trinity Christian then she received a short cross on an indirect free kick against the Trolls to tie the game at 2-2 with just under 90 seconds remaining in the game to make it 2-2.

Against the Tigers, Castanon scored the first and third goals for the Pride as he first came on a penalty kick to tie the score at 1-1 then her final goal iced the game with just under three minutes to go.

Castanon is coming off of a down sophomore year where injuries played a part as she only tallied a goal and an assist in 2021 following a freshman season that saw the Hemet, Calif. native earn All-Heart Third Team honors as she led the team with nine goals.

Already through four games this season, Castanon has four goals and an assist as the team's leader in goals and points through the early part of the 2022 schedule.

Clarke women's soccer will be back on the pitch this Friday when they host Cornell College at Burrows Field for a 7:00 p.m. CT kickoff.