Hornet’s redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sierra Sonko earned National Player of the Week honors from Top Drawer Soccer on Tuesday, Nov. 12. Photo courtesy of Sac State Athletics

SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Sierra Sonko came up aces not once, not twice, but three times in penalty kicks for the Sacramento State women’s soccer team last week during the Big Sky Conference Tournament, stopping a pair of attempts in all three contests to earn National Player of the Week honors from Top Drawer Soccer on Tuesday, Nov. 12.

It’s another award added to the mantel for the Seattle, Wash., native, who was named the Big Sky Tournament Most Valuable Player for her performance in net as the Hornets claimed their first league tournament championship, and the automatic NCAA berth that goes with it for the first time since 2010.

Having appeared in one match and playing in only five minutes during the regular season, Sonko answered when called upon for No. 5-seeded Sacramento State, stopping a pair of penalties following a 2-2 draw against No. 4-seeded Northern Arizona and repeating the feat against regular season champion, host, and top-seeded Montana after the Hornets and the Grizzlies played to a scoreless draw.

Two days later, it took eight rounds of penalties to finally decide a winner, but Sonko stopped defending tournament champion Idaho on its fourth attempt as the Hornets drew even and then denied the Vandals on what turned out to be their final attempt of the day to secure the victory.

Following the match, Sonko became the third Sacramento State women’s soccer player to be named the Big Sky Tournament’s MVP, joining Katie McCoy (2007) and Elece McBride (2010). She was one of six named to the all-tournament team along with teammates Teysha-Ray Spinney-Kuahuia, Ellie Farber, Sydney Sharts, Dalen Lau, and Izzy Palmatier, matching the most selections in school history along with the 2007 and 2010 squads.

Riding a nine-match (3-0-6) unbeaten streak dating back to their last loss on Sept. 29, the Hornets open the 2024 NCAA Tournament against top-seeded and host USC on Sunday, Nov. 17 at 2 p.m. at Dignity Health Sports Park Track Stadium in Carson, Calif.

Broadcast information for the match has not yet been finalized, but tickets are now on sale via the link posted on the women’s soccer schedule page at HornetSports.com.