Sept. 3, 2012

Just minutes before the University of Minnesota women’s soccer team kicked off against Western Kentucky, the Big Ten Conference named sophomore Taylor Uhl the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week for notching her third career hat trick last Thursday against Bowling Green.

Uhl tallied a total of seven points in the match against the Falcons with them all coming in the second half. She notched a pair of goals in the first seven minutes of the half with the first goal coming in the 48^th minute when she stole a ball from the Falcon defender and slipped it under the keeper. Her second came in the 56^th as Price crossed a ball from the right sideline to the back post where Uhl was waiting. The sophomore took one touch and struck the ball to the far back corner.

She would later tally a goal in the 74^th minute to cap off the third hat trick of her career and only the 13^th in program history. The Eden Prairie, Minn. native is the only player in Minnesota history to tally three hat tricks in a career.

Later in Thursday’s match, Uhl was on the opposite side of a goal as she dished off a ball inside the box to Wodnick.

The honor is Uhl’s fifth career weekly honor from the Big Ten but only her second as Offensive Player of the Week.

Through Monday’s 1-0 win over Western Kentucky, Uhl has recorded a point in 12-straight matches, which is a school record. Against the Hilltoppers, she had her streak of nine consecutive games with a goal snapped, which also is a Minnesota record.

Uhl and the Golden Gophers take a three-game winning streak into next weekend’s Minnesota Gold Classic, which will feature DePaul, Iowa State and San Diego State. The Maroon & Gold take on SDSU on Friday night at 7 p.m. and then DePaul on Sunday at 1 p.m. Prior to each Gopher match, Iowa State will play the compliment of Minnesota’s opponent.