By Alan Wiederhold
HT Athletic Communications
NEW ORLEANS – Huston-Tillotson women's soccer player
Citlaly Vences was named the HBCU Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week for her performances during the week of August 25 through 31, the conference announced Tuesday.
A freshman goalkeeper from Baytown, Texas (Goose Creek Memorial), Vences' nine-save performance at St. Edward's earned her the recognition from the conference. In a match that was shortened due to persistent lightning in the area, Vences stopped nine shots while allowing only one goal in HT's 1-0 setback to the Hilltoppers.
St. Edward's scored its lone goal on Vences on a well-placed free kick from outside the penalty area. The Hilltoppers, whose campus home field is closer to HT than the Rams' home venue, were picked to finish sixth out 15 teams in the Lone Star Conference, an NCAA Division II league.
Vences also saved two out of three shots on goal in the team's season-opening contest at Southwestern (Texas). The lone goal and .667 save percentage were the best of HT's three goalkeepers in that match.
The Defensive Player of the Week honors by Vences was the first weekly conference honor for an HT women's soccer player since the last week of the 2021 regular season, when Rams goalkeeper Phoenix Michaelis was named the Red River Athletic Conference's Defensive Player of the Week.
Vences' award and the three other weekly awards issued this week by the HBCU Athletic Conference were the first such soccer honors given by the league in more than decade, and the first under its current name. Previously known as the Gulf Coast Athletic Conference, the NAIA-affiliated league last sponsored soccer in 2009.
No stranger to league honors, Vences arrived at the Austin university last month after being named the District 23-6A Goalkeeper of the Year after leading Goose Creek Memorial to Texas' UIL postseason tournament and a playoff win over perennial women's soccer power Clear Lake High School.
The Rams return to action this Friday when they visit Arlington Baptist as part of a weekend road trip through north and northeast Texas.
Information from the HBCU Athletic Conference was used in this story.
– HT –
