BLOOMINGTON, Minn. -- The Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) announced its Athlete of the Week award winners for football, volleyball, soccer, and hockey on Monday. Student-athletes from Augsburg, Bethel, Concordia, Gustavus, Saint Benedict, Saint Mary's, St. Olaf, and St. Scholastica claimed the Conference's weekly honors.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week awards are nominated by the Conference's sports information directors and selected by MIAC staff. Transitioning to the winter season, team sports (football, soccer, volleyball, basketball, and hockey) Athletes of the Week will be recognized on Monday afternoons, with individual sports (swimming & diving and indoor track & field) announced on Tuesday afternoons. The winners of the latest Athlete of the Week awards are listed below, along with details on their outstanding performances.
The MIAC Athlete of the Week archive has complete details on each week's selections and winners.
MIAC Football Offensive Player of the Week
Cooper Drews
Bethel University
So. | Quarterback
Princeton, Minn.
Cooper Drews accounted for seven total touchdowns - six through the air and one on the ground - in the Royals' 56-7 win over Carleton on 11/2. Drews matched the program record with six passing touchdowns for the second straight week and aired it out for a career-best 422 yards by completing 38 of his 44 passing attempts. Drews found three difference receivers in the endzone and added a one-yard rushing touchdown himself. His six scoring strikes also made him Bethel's single-season passing touchdown leader with 30 on the year.
MIAC Football Defensive Player of the Week
Landen Goebel
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Cornerback
Becker, Minn.
Landen Goebel hauled in two critical interceptions in the Gusties' 21-10 win over St. Olaf on 11/2. Goebel's first pick came in the first quarter when he intercepted a pass at the Gusties' own 10-yard line. His second takeaway came late in the fourth to halt St. Olaf's comeback attempt. Goebel also tallied three tackles and helped the Gusties limit the Oles to 11 total rushing yards in the game.
MIAC Football Special Teams Player of the Week
Owen Miller
Concordia College
Sr. | Wide Receiver
Aitkin, Minn.
Owen Miller returned the opening kickoff of the second half 89 yards for a touchdown in the Cobbers' 38-7 victory over Augsburg on 11/2. It was his first career kickoff return for a touchdown and the Cobbers' second kick return score in the last three games.
MIAC Volleyball Offensive Player of the Week
Lauren Klaith
Gustavus Adolphus College
Sr. | Outside Hitter
Rockford, Minn.
Lauren Klaith had a pair of highly efficient matches for the Gusties last week, leading the offense with an attack of .410 in two victories. Against Augsburg on 11/1, Klaith collected 15 kills on 34 attempts with no errors to hit a season-best .441. Klaith then helped the Gusties to a sweep of Bethel on 11/2 with 11 kills on 27 attempts with just one error to hit .370. She finished the weekend with an assist, a block, and five digs.
MIAC Volleyball Specialty Player of the Week
Audrey Spolidoro
College of Saint Benedict
Sr. | Setter
Cottage Grove, Minn. | East Ridge
Audrey Spolidoro averaged 12.00 assists and 2.71 digs in a 2-0 week for the Bennies. Spolidoro posted the 52nd double-double of her career with 46 assists and 12 digs in a 3-1 win over Carleton on 10/30 before adding 38 assists and seven digs with three service aces in the sweep of Concordia on 11/2.
MIAC Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Joe Flory
Gustavus Adolphus College
So. | Forward
Whitchurch, England | The King's School Chester
Joe Flory scored two goals as the Gusties defeated St. Scholastica 5-0 on 11/2 to secure a share of the MIAC regular season championship and the No. 1 seed for Playoffs. Flory scored both of his goals within six minutes of each other early in the second half to put the game out of reach and extend his team lead to 10 goals this season.
MIAC Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Frankie Pinto
Augsburg University
Fy. | Goalkeeper
Chicago, Ill. | Maine South
Frankie Pinto recorded eight saves, including a save on a penalty kick in the 81st minute, in the Auggies' 2-1, come-from-behind victory at Macalester on 11/1 to secure the No. 3 spot in the MIAC Playoffs. It was his fourth game with eight or more saves on the season.
MIAC Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week
Cambelle Waldspurger
Gustavus Adolphus College
Jr. | Forward
Mahtomedi, Minn.
Cambelle Waldspurger had a four-point game to lead the Gusties to a 5-1 victory at St. Scholastica on 11/2, clinching the program's first MIAC Playoff appearance since 2021. Waldspurger collected her sixth goal of the season and a pair of assists in only 38 minutes of action. Waldspurger assisted the team's first goal and scored the eventual game-winner just 35 seconds later. She added another assist on the Gusties' fourth goal of the game. The 5-1 victory marked the first time since 2003 that the Gusties have scored five goals against a conference opponent.
MIAC Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week
Claire Smothers
Augsburg University
Fy. | Goalkeeper
Iowa City, Iowa
Claire Smothers had a career-high seven saves in the Auggies' 1-0 victory at Macalester that clinched a playoff berth. Smothers has posted shutouts in five of her eight starts this season.
MIAC Men's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Hunter Hanson
The College of St. Scholastica
So. | Forward
Blaine, Minn.
Hunter Hanson scored critical goals in both games of the Saints' season-opening series with MSOE on 11/1-2. Hanson tallied the game-tying power-play goal in a 2-2 draw on 11/1 before finding the back of the net for the game-winner in overtime on 11/2. He added an assist in the win.
MIAC Men's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Dane Couture
Concordia College
So. | Goaltender
Little Falls, Minn.
Dane Couture recorded two wins and stopped 42 of the 45 shots he faced in the Cobbers' sweep at Concordia Wisconsin on 11/1-2. Couture made 24 saves in the team's 5-2 win on 11/1 and stopped 18 of the 19 shots he faced on 11/2.
MIAC Women's Hockey Offensive Player of the Week
Reese Heitzman
Saint Mary's University
So. | Forward
Hermantown, Minn. | Proctor-Hermantown
Reese Heitzman scored two goals and assisted on four more for the Cardinals to open the season. Heitzman scored two goals and assisted on another in Saint Mary's 6-1 win over Concordia Wisconsin on 11/1. She then assisted on all three goals in a 4-3 loss on 11/2. She also blocked a shot in the game.
MIAC Women's Hockey Defensive Player of the Week
Devon Cole
St. Olaf College
Sr. | Goaltender
Mammoth Lakes, Calif. | The Lawrenceville School
Devon Cole logged the first shutout of her collegiate career by stopping all 27 shots she faced in the Oles' 4-0 season-opening victory over UW-Stevens Point on 11/2. Cole had six saves in the first period, 11 in the second, and 10 in the third to secure the win.