Akins named Big Sky Player of the Week
9/10/2013 12:00:00 AM | Soccer
Sept. 10, 2013
The most intoxicating part of Montana sophomore Mackenzie Akins earning Big Sky Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors after leading the Griz soccer team to a pair of victories at the Montana Cup over Houston Baptist and Utah Valley? We're only seeing the start of what's to come.
"Mackenzie dealt with an injury throughout the entire summer and that kind of limited her ability to train and really be ready to go when she got here," UM coach Mark Plakorus said. "It's taken her a while to get healthy and get her fitness level back up.
"It's a pretty good level she's playing at, but I think she can be better than what she's shown. I think there are a lot of things we can help her with to get her better and more efficient so that she can be even more dangerous."
Akins was the easy choice for her first career player of the week award after playing a role in all four of Montana's goals against the Huskies and Wolverines, a sweep that gave the Grizzlies their first two-match winning streak of the season and extended their home unbeaten streak to 11.
Akins, who earned honorable mention All-Big Sky honors as a freshman, assisted on junior Tyler Adair's goal in the 52nd minute in Montana's 1-0 victory over Houston Baptist on Thursday to give the Grizzlies their first win of the season.
In Monday's 3-1 victory over Utah Valley, Akins assisted on Montana's first two goals, scored by Adair and senior India Watne, then added the team's third goal to put the Grizzlies up 3-0. It was her first goal of the season and fourth of her career.
Akins' three assists on the season give her seven for her career in 27 matches.
The most impressive metric to measure Akins' value to the team? Montana has won 14 times since the start of Akins' freshman season last fall. She has the game-winning goal or assist in seven of those wins.
"It's good recognition for Mackenzie, because she has been doing some great things for us," Plakorus added.
"It was a good weekend for her and a really good weekend for us. Everything we do is about our team, so individual accolades are a reflection of the success we have as a team. If we don't play as well as we did this past weekend, we don't have a chance to get anybody recognized."
Montana will try to add to its two-match winning streak this weekend on the road. The Grizzlies will face Nebraska-Omaha Friday at 4 p.m. (MT) and Creighton Sunday at noon (MT). Both matches will be played in Omaha, Neb.
