COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The Texas A&M Aggies picked up a pair of Southeastern Conference honors as senior Shea Groom was selected the SEC Offensive Player of the Week and junior Karlie Mueller was tabbed the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.
Texas A&M became the first squad to garner offensive POTW and defensive POTW honors in the same week this season. The last squad to accomplish the feat was Georgia on September 23, 2013.
It marked the first SEC weekly honor for Groom and was the second offensive POTW honor for A&M in 2014 with Kelley Monogue earning the accolade on September 2. Aggies have earned SEC Offensive Player of the Week honors on four occasions since 2012.
Mueller picked up her second career SEC weekly award, also earning SEC Defensive Player of the Week on September 30, 2013. It was the first defensive honor for the Aggies in 2014 and the fifth since 2012.
In the Aggies' lone match of the week, Groom recorded a hat trick in a 3-0 win against Tennessee last Thursday. It marked the second hat trick of Groom's career and the 34th in the history of the program. The midfielder put her first goal home with her head just outside the six-yard box on a free kick service from Mueller from 35 yards out in the first half. In the second half, Groom scored off a Bianca Brinson throw-in that Janae Cousineau flicked towards the six-yard box. After one bounce Groom sent it to the back of the net with her left foot. The final goal came in the 89th minute, she outmuscled a Vols' defender for 20 yards, broke clear and blasted a shot from 12 yards out.
On the season, Groom leads the SEC and ranks 11th in the nation with eight goals and her 18 points ranks second in the league behind Monogue. For her career, Groom ranks ninth on A&M's all-time goals list with 33. She also has 20 assists and 86 points.
Mueller helped anchor the only SEC defense to not yield a goal last week. The Sioux Falls, South Dakota native aided the Maroon and White in registering their fourth shutout of the season and she offered up the assist on A&M's first goal of the 3-0 win. The Aggies' backline limited Tennessee to just two shots-on-goal and held the Volunteers' leading scorer and All-American Hannah Wilkinson without a shot for the entire match. Mueller's assist came on a free kick from 35 yards out, offering a perfect service near the six-yard box that Groom headed into the back of the net for the first of her three goals on the weekend.
After leading A&M with 10 assists last season, Mueller is up to two this season with both coming in the last three matches.
The Aggies are off to a 7-1-1 start on the season, including a 1-0-0 ledger in SEC play. A&M has a pair of road matches slated for the weekend, heading to LSU on Friday and Ole Miss on Sunday.
Groom and Mueller Earn SEC Weekly Honors
The Texas A&M Aggies picked up a pair of Southeastern Conference honors as senior Shea Groom was selected the SEC Offensive Player of the Week and junior Karlie Mueller was tabbed the SEC Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Monday.