BEL AIR, MD - After a 5-goal performance through two games, Ava Lewis has been named the NJCAA Division I Women's Soccer Player of the Week for week 6. She is the second player from Harford Community College to earn national POW honors this season, following Evie Heinlein's recognition in week 2.
The Fighting Owls traveled to Richard Bland on September 29 where they defeated the Statesmen 8-0. Lewis tallied a hat-trick in the contest, scoring the first three goals of the game. Her first notch came at the 33rd minute on a central combination with freshman Emilee Axelsson. Five minutes later she would receive a ball across the box from sophomore Dani Marino and slot it into the low far post to put the Fighting Owls up 2-0 at the half. Her final goal of the game came from a buildup on the kickoff. Harford possessed the ball down the middle of the field using quick combinations to set Lewis up on a 1v1 with the center back. She would take a touch to her left and bury her third goal into the net just over the outstretched hand of the Richard Bland keeper.
Two days later Harford squared off against Division I opponent, USC Lancaster. The teams entered halftime gridlocked at 0-0, and battled for the upper hand until the 69th minute when the Fighting Owls earned a free kick just inside the USCL half. Reagan Saboy was able to put a perfectly placed ball into the box for Lewis, who pushed a glancing header past the Lancer keeper and sent the Owls up 1-0. Just two minutes later, she would grab a loose touch from a USCL center back and cut back to the middle of the field on her right foot. Her shot found the top corner of the net on a rope, and secured Harford's 2-0 win.
Ava Lewis currently has 9 goals and 1 assist on the season (19 points) with a SOG percentage of .667. She leads the Fighting Owls in scoring and is #4 among MDJUCO goal scorers.
