LITTLE ROCK, AR. – Following a standout performance in Little Rock's dominant 4–1 win over Morehead State, Trojan sophomore forward Maria Schuller has been named the Ohio Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season.
Schuller powered the Trojans' attack with a hat trick — scoring in the 7th, 62nd, and 86th minutes — marking her first collegiate hat trick and the program's first since 2014. It also stands as the first hat trick under head coach Kelly Farrell's tenure at Little Rock. Her three-goal outing lifted the Trojans to second place in the OVC standings and extended the team's unbeaten conference streak.
Head coach Kelly Farrell praised the young forward's continued dominance in front of goal.
"I am really excited for Maria; it seems like she has been scoring goals at will," Farrell said. "She's a really fun player to watch and coach, and I am excited she got the recognition this week that I think she certainly deserves. I am looking forward to watching her in our next couple of games and hopefully she has that same fire and offensive production."
Schuller's breakout sophomore season has been one of the most impressive in recent program history. She now leads the OVC in goals and ranks among the top 25 nationally, continuing to serve as one of the conference's most dangerous offensive threats.
"It's definitely really exciting; I am very proud of myself and us as a team to get to this point," Schuller said. "It's exciting too because it gives us all more confidence in general, because I can't score without the people around me. It's not just testimony to myself, but to the whole team as well."
The Trojans (5-3-5, 3-0-3 OVC) continue their conference campaign this week, looking to carry momentum from Schuller's offensive surge into their upcoming matches.
Up Next:
Little Rock will play at home this upcoming Thursday in an early 2 p.m. matchup against Western Illinois before heading to Eastern Illinois for their final road contest on Sunday.
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