Sponable Earns NCCAA Weekly Honors
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- Alexis Sponable exploded for 4 goals in one game last week, and the rookie was subsequently tabbed as the NCCAA Student-Athlete of the Week.
Sponable, a freshman from Middleville, Michigan, sparked a 5-0 win over NCAA DIII opponents Finlandia last Thursday. Sponable scored a first-half hat-trick with 3 shots from the top of the box, then added a header in the second half to complete her memorable day. The game was the last home game for the Sabercats this season and was their only game of the week.
This was the second hat-trick this season for Sponable, who becomes the first freshman in the program to tab 2 hat-tricks in the same season since Allison Steinhaus did it in 2012.
The 4-goal feat marked the sixth occurrence in program history for the Maranatha Women's Soccer Team since 2000:
| Athlete name | Date | Opponent | Result |
| Melissa Nichols | 9/27/2008 | at Alverno | W 9-0 |
| Elise Jones | 10/18/2008 | vs Concordia-Chicago | W 7-0 |
| Karis Rogers | 9/18/2010 | at Rockford | W 10-1 |
| Natascha Vinz | 9/7/2013 | at Lincoln Christian | W 11-0 |
| Natascha Vinz | 10/24/2014 | at Rockford | W 7-0 |
| Alexis Sponable | 9/28/2017 | vs Finlandia | W 5-0 |
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The quadruple brings Sponable's tally to 9 goals in 9 games this season, and she leads the team in the goalscoring category.
The Sabercats, now 3-6 for the year, will travel to Kentucky this weekend to face Johnson University and Kentucky Christian University. MBU will play JU Friday at 5:15 p.m. Eastern before squaring off against KCU Saturday at 1:15 p.m. Eastern. Both games will be played at KCU in Grayson, Kentucky.
