This week’s Athlete of the Week is Kaitlyn Eidson. The senior central defender has been an upgrade for the SMU women’s soccer team since last season when Eidson made the switch from midfielder to central defender.
Eidson was awarded the Conference USA Defensive player of the Week Award the last week of September for her performance in the first two games during the start of conference game-play action. The Mustangs obtained a perfect start during opening conference play, as they won the first three conference matches.
Eidson scored two goals in two different matches that served as key victories.
While facing off against No. 19 UCF on Sept. 23 at Westcott field, Eidson was the only player of the match to find the back of the net. The lone goal marked her first goal of the season.
She was also responsible for the shutout, as she was in charge of defending outside and inside the penalty box while the Knights outshot the Mustangs 13-5. The victory for the Mustangs was the first win over a ranked opponent since Nov. 15, 2002, when they knocked off the then No. 11 Texas out of the first round of the NCAA tournament.
“The key for the victory was to outplay them. We talked about it all week,” Eidson said as she emphasized the idea of taking advantage of the opponent’s mistakes. “You have to play your best: you have to be sharp in offense, defense and minimize the mistakes,” Eidson said.
The team has been focusing on benefitting from opponents’ mistakes in order to put them out of reach from a victory during a match. “And that’s what we did, we capitalized on their mistakes,” she said.
Eidson again held the key role in defeating Southern Miss the following Sunday afternoon at Westcott Field. The Mustangs maintained a clean sheet during the first 80 minutes of play.
Eidson may have given up a goal in the 81st minute, but she made up for it five minutes later when she capped off of a corner kick with a header and put the match out of reach for the Knights.
The C-USA Defensive Player of the Week Award is not just the first for Eidson, but her second weekly honor of her career after being named Offensive Player of the week in 2010.
Eidson has also gained national publicity and recognition from both Soccer America and CollegeSoccer360.com. The senior was named to the Soccer America Women’s Team of the Week and earned a spot on the CS360 Primetime Performers Weekly Honor Roll.
“The hardest part of being an SMU athlete is missing class and having to make up assignments all the time,” Eidson said. Being an SMU athlete is a full time commitment that must given a significant amount of time and dedication in order to succeed.
“Before the game I listen to my iPod so I can focus on what I need to do in the game,” Eidson said as she explained her actions prior to all matches.
