Oct. 16, 2007

FRISCO, Texas - Stephen F. Austin's Jessica Cotton has been named the Southland Conference Soccer Defensive Player of the Week, league officials announced Tuesday. Cotton's selection is the third overall for the Ladyjacks this season and SFA's second defensive honor of the year.

Cotton scored the game-winning goal in SFA's 2-1 double-overtime victory at Texas State on Sunday, heading home a corner kick in the 105th minute. It was the junior's third goal of the season and her second game-winning score this year.

Cotton's defensive play was as big a part of her team's success over the weekend as the goal. She helped lead a unit that surrendered just one goal despite playing two consecutive double-overtime games. The Ladyjacks battled Texas-San Antonio to a scoreless tie Friday night, holding the Roadrunners to seven shots on goal. Sunday, Cotton and the SFA defense nearly posted another shutout, as they blanked Texas State until a goal in the game's final five minutes. The Bobcats finished with 10 shots on goal.

Cotton and the Ladyjacks (6-3-2, 2-0-1) will return to action Friday night when they host Central Arkansas in a 7 p.m. contest. SFA will then entertain Northwestern State Sunday at 2 p.m.

-- SFA --