Ball Named SEC Defensive Player Of The Week - AuburnTigers.com - Auburn University Official Athletic Site

Ball Named SEC Defensive Player Of The Week Sophomore had a pair of goals on the weekend

Tori Ball has five game-winning goals in her career, including one on Sunday

Aug. 20, 2012

Fresh off of the first two-goal game of her career, sophomore Tori Ball has been named the Southeastern Conference's Defensive Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Monday.

A natural forward, Ball was a starting center-back for Auburn over the weekend and helped Auburn to a pair of wins, including a season-opening shutout. In Auburn's 1-0 season-opening win on Friday she helped hold Georgia State to just one shot from her defensive position. She returned on Sunday and scored Auburn's first two goals in a 4-1 win over High Point, connecting on a pair of corner kicks in the first 11 minutes of the match while also helping limit High Point to just six shots.

In Ball's career she has scored six goals, five of which have been game-winners.

For the weekend Auburn allowed just seven shots, only three of which went on frame.

Auburn is starting the season without defender Bianca Sierra and midfielder Ashley Kotero, who are playing in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Japan for Mexico. Ball has taken Sierra's starting spot on the back line in her absence.

Auburn (2-0-0) returns to the field this weekend when it travels to California for a pair of matches. Auburn will play at Pepperdine on Friday and then at UC Irvine on Sunday.