Salt City College Soccer Player of the Week: Shay Kercher-Pratt, GK, Utah State
Salt City College Soccer Player of the Week: Shay Kercher-Pratt, GK, Utah State
Every week of the 2024 season, Salt City FC will recognize a top Division I women's soccer player from Utah for excellence on the field.
With a career-high six saves Sunday afternoon, Utah State’s Shay Kercher-Pratt has the Aggies’ defense on lock down three games into the 2024 campaign.
Kercher-Pratt made six saves Sunday in a 2-0 home win over reigning Big 12 champion Texas Tech (2-2) to pace the Aggies’ third consecutive shutout to start the 2024 season.
The sophomore goalkeeper played all 90 minutes in goal of her second career start behind a veteran defense that included Kylie Olsen, Alysia Butters and Addy Weichers for the duration.
“I think it also stems from the front line,” said Kercher-Pratt, who was named Mountain West Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in her career. “Our press is really good. If we press high up the field, the ball will never get to me. I think it starts with that … I think the team is looking out for me, and I help as they need it, too.”
The win lifted Utah State (3-0) to a perfect 4-0 in home openers under head coach Manny Martins, including victories in 15 of their past 17 openers at Chuck and Gloria Bell Field in Logan.
“I’m really proud of our team. We’re three games in with three shutouts,” Martins said after Sunday’s win. “Two of the team’s we’ve played were NCAA Tournament teams last year and this was a Sweet Sixteen team. They threw everything at us and we were able to sustain it, so I’m really, really proud.”
A three-star recruit by TopDrawerSoccer out of Legacy High School in Broomfield, Colorado, Kercher-Pratt also made two saves in a 3-0 win over host Hawai’i en route to All-Tournament Team honors at the Outrigger Kickoff in the islands.
The Aggies will travel to a pair of in-state opponents this week, beginning Wednesday at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City followed by a Saturday tilt at BYU in Provo. The reigning Mountain West champions will finish the three-match in-state road trip next Thursday, Sept. 5 at Utah Valley in Orem.
Other nominees
Allie Fryer, FW, BYU — The junior forward out of Maple Mountain High continued to carry the offensive load for the Cougars, notching a goal and an assist to help BYU to a pair of 1-1 road draws with No. 23 Saint Louis and Long Beach State.
Fryer scored her second goal of the season on an assist from Caroline Stringfellow in the 68th minute against the Billikens, then set up Addie Gardner for her first goal of the year in the 67th minute two nights later in Southern California
Lacy Fox, FW, Utah Tech — The junior out of Lone Peak High scored three second-half goals to rally the Trailblazers by UNLV, 3-2 in Utah Tech’s home opener at Greater Zions Stadium in St. George.
Fox opened her account with a penalty kick in the 63rd minute to equalize the match at 1-1, pulled even again in the 84th minute, and finished off her hat trick with the match-winner in the 89th minute to pushed the Trailblazers to 1-0-2 after a scoreless draw Sunday night with Omaha.