KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Hope International’s (Calif.) Christiane Sundstrom and Health Sciences & Pharmacy’s (Mo.) Lauren Harding are the NAIA Women’s Soccer Players of the Week, NAIA officials announced today. Sundstrom is the national offensive player of the week, while Harding earns the defensive award. The duo was selected based on their performances from October 14-20 from a pool of conference/Continental Athletic Conference (Independents)/unaffiliated group nominees. 

Players of the Week are announced weekly throughout the regular season on Tuesdays on naia.org, Instagram, and X.

X - @NAIA

Instagram - @PlayNAIA

NAIA Women's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week

Christiane Sundstrom, Hope International (Calif.) - FR - Forward

• Sundstrom scored three goals and recorded an assist in two games last week to help the Royals remain atop the Great Southwest Athletic Conference standings.
• She tallied a goal and an assist in Hope International’s 3-0 win over OUAZ (Ariz.). The assist set a new program record, her 20th in two seasons.
• Sundstrom closed the week with two goals, including the game-winner, in a 3-0 win over Arizona Christian.
• Sundstrom leads the GSAC in points (46), goals (18), assists (10), and game-winning goals (7) this season. Her seven game-winners rank second in the NAIA and her 46 points are eighth in the nation.

NAIA Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week

Lauren Harding, Health Sciences & Pharmacy (Mo.) - SO - Goalkeeper

• Harding tallied 18 saves in a pair of UHSP American Midwest Conference wins.
• She opened the week with nine saves to help the Eutectics shut out Stephens (Mo.) 3-0.
• Harding matched her save output from the Stephens’ match with nine more saves in a 2-1 win over Williams Baptist (Ark.) to close the week.
• The two wins help UHSP remain tied for second place in the AMC standings, just three points back of the leader.
• Harding ranks fifth in the AMC this season with 53 saves.

For a full archive of the 2024 NAIA Women's Soccer Players of the Week, click HERE