COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference its first set of weekly award winners for women's soccer Tuesday and saw two members of the Colorado School of Mines women's soccer team honored, as Ava Harman and Natalie Rouse were named Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week respectively.
 
For Harman, the weekly award is the second of her career and first of the Offensive variety as she took home Defensive Player of the Week laurels back on September 7, 2021. The Vancouver, Washington native in her fifth season with Mines was a significant part of a 2-0 opening weekend out west. On Friday against SFSU, she played all 90 minutes and attempted a shot while helping facilitate the go-ahead goal in a 1-0 win while on Sunday against Chico State, she first registered an assist on the game-tying goal right before the intermission by way of a corner kick before connecting on the game-winner in the 79th minute for a 2-1 win. For the weekend, Harman logged 159 minutes with three shots, two of which were on target, one goal and one assist for three points. The assist was the 10th of her career and seventh by way of a set piece opportunity while the goal was her fourth and third game-winner.
 
Rouse starts off 2024 the same way she ended 2023, taking home the sixth Defensive Player of the Week honor of her career as she opens up defense of her Defensive Player of the Year crown. The redshirt junior out of Carlsbad, California played a pivotal role in Mines' wins over San Francisco State and Chico State. On opening day against the Gators, she helped spearhead a defensive effort that yielded a total of two shots over the course of 90 minutes in a 1-0 win, while on Sunday opposite the Wildcats, she connected with a header for the game-tying goal with just two seconds remaining on the clock in the opening half before helping keep Chico off the board in the second half for an eventual 2-0 win. For the weekend she played all 180 minutes and scored on the only shot she took for the seventh goal of her career, all of which have come via set pieces.
 
Fans can keep up with Mines women's soccer on Twitter and Instagram at @mineswsoc. They can also keep up with Colorado School of Mines Athletics all year long on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram using the handle @MinesAthletics.
 
Week 1 RMAC Players of the Week
 
Offensive: Ava Harman, Mines
Defensive: Natalie Rouse, Mines
Goalkeeper: Kylie Bach, MSU Denver
Honorable Mention: Karlee Caballero, Adams State; Capri Dewing, Colorado Christian; Abby Fotheringham, Colorado Mesa; Cameron Farthing, CSU Pueblo; Abila Tapia, Fort Lewis; Isa Durkin, MSU Denver; Kate Rayner, New Mexico Highlands; Sarah Wynn, Regis; Necie Gubler, Westminster; Sarah Dunn, Colorado Mesa; Jerzie Troost, CSU Pueblo; Emily Sirois, MSU Denver; Devyn Gunn, New Mexico Highlands; Sophia DiGeronimo, Westminster; Alana Lopp, Colorado Christian; Keely Wieczorek, Colorado Mesa; Sadie Wolf, Mines; Jacqueline Dominguez, CSU Pueblo; Riley Bravin, Fort Lewis; Peyton Greener, New Mexico Highlands; Payne Maggie, Regis.