Wake Forest and Virginia stars named ACC Women’s Soccer Players of the Week

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Wake Forest senior forward Shayla Smart has been named ACC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, while Virginia senior defender Claire Constant has been tabbed ACC Defensive Player of the Week.

Smart recorded the first hat trick of her collegiate campaign and first for Wake Forest since 2016 to lift the Demon Deacons to a pair of wins last week. She scored all three goals in last Thursday’s 3-0 victory against Loyola (Md.). The senior started the scoring in the 10th minute against the Greyhounds and added a second goal a minute later. Smart completed the hat trick in the 57th minute with each goal scored during the run of play.

Hailing from Apopka, Florida, Smart tallied an assist in Sunday’s 2-0 win against Appalachian State to finish the week with seven points. Smart now has six goals on the season to tie for the conference lead and rank among the nation’s best.

Constant helped anchor a UVa back line that posted a pair of shutouts, including a 1-0 victory against No. 9 Santa Clara on Thursday and a 2-0 win at James Madison on Sunday. The senior played the full 90 minutes in both games and disrupted several scoring chances for the Broncos in the Cavaliers’ shutout of the defending NCAA Champions.

On Sunday, the Alexandria, Virginia, native helped limit JMU to only two shots (none on goal) and just one corner kick. With the shutouts, the Cavaliers have now posted five shutouts in six matches this season, including two against nationally-ranked opponents.

ACC women’s soccer action returns Thursday with 13 of the league’s teams in action, highlighted by an ACC Network doubleheader featuring 15th-ranked Clemson hosting 12th-ranked South Carolina at 6 p.m. followed by No. 3 Virginia welcoming No. 7 Penn State.

ACC Women’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week
8/24 – Amanda West, Pitt, Jr., F
8/31 – Linda Boama, Boston College, So., F
9/7 – Shayla Smart, Wake Forest, Sr., F

ACC Women’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week
8/24 – Jaelin Howell, Florida State, Sr., M
8/31 – Claudia Dickey, North Carolina, Sr., GK
9/7 – Claire Constant, Virginia, Sr., D