Costa Mesa, Calif – Freshman Amanda Couch is having a tremendous debut season for the Lions. Notching a hat trick earlier in the season, Couch continued her list of incredible performances by collecting GSAC Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week and VU’s Lion of the Week Awards for leading the Lions to a win and tie against a pair of NAIA top-20 opponents. VU’s recent success on the soccer field has lifted the Lions to No. 5, the highest NAIA rank ever for the Vanguard women’s soccer program.Taking on the No. 17 Concordia Eagles on the road, Couch, a 5’4" midfielder from Sacramento, helped the Lions salvage a tie by scoring VU’s lone goal in the 1-1 tie in Irvine. Couch’s goal came in the 62nd minute, bringing the visitors from a 1-0 deficit and into a 1-1 tie.
Over the weekend, Couch and the Lions hosted No. 20 The Master’s College. Couch contributed a goal and an assist in a 4-1 victory, pushing VU’s unbeaten streak to seven games. The win raised the Lions’ overall record to 10-1-1 and conference mark to 4-1-1, keeping Vanguard in second place in the GSAC standings.
Couch’s productive week put her at the top of VU’s offensive statistics with seven goals and seven assists so far this season, an extremely good start for the collegiate rookie
With only three regular season games remaining, the Lions, now 11-1-1 and 5-1-1 in GSAC are in good shape for the postseason. VU’s Lion of the Week is hoping to continue her stellar season into the GSAC Tournament and the program’s first NAIA Tournament.