Student-Athlete of the Week - October 23, 2006

Name: Nicole Irwin
Sport: Women's Soccer
Year: Junior
Position: MF

Nicole Irwin produced a three-goal second-half hat trick to lead San Jose State to a 4-2 triumph at defending WAC regular-season champion Hawai’i on Sunday, October 22.

With the Spartans ahead 1-0 at halftime, Irwin scored unassisted just 3:09 into the second half to increase her team’s lead, shooting left-footed from near the top of the penalty box, into the right corner of the goal. The 2005 first-team All-WAC and 2006 preseason All-WAC selection then made it a 3-0 game at 65:26, taking a through ball from Jessica Scott and firing left-footed from the left side of the penalty area into the right netting. After back-to-back goals pulled the Rainbow Wahine to within one goal at 3-2, Irwin put the result out of doubt with a 30-yard left-footed blast over UH goalkeeper Kori Lu and into the upper left corner of the net. Irwin received the ball from a defensive giveaway. The unassisted goal was her team-leading eighth on the year, with seven of them coming in league play. Irwin earned credit for her team-leading fourth game-winning goal of 2006, which also ties for the WAC lead.

Irwin’s hat trick was the second in as many games for a Spartan player after Scott achieved the feat exactly one week ago, and the seventh in the 12-year history of the program. It was also the third hat trick for a WAC player in 2006, and second in WAC play, along with Scott’s. Irwin took just three shots during the game, with all three resulting in goals.

Past 2006-07 Spartan Foundation Student-Athletes of the Week

August 28 - Jessie Shull - Women's Volleyball
September 5 - Tiffany Hall - Women's Cross Country
September 11 - Yonus Davis - Football
September 18 - Jennifer Sentfleben - Women's Volleyball
September 25 - Dwight Lowery - Football
October 2 - Adam Tafralis - Football
October 9 - Nicole Irwin - Women's Soccer
October 16 - Marissa Dayton - Women's Soccer