Metuchen, NJ – Week VIII produced it's first conference champion in the 2018 UWS Season as the Houston Aces powered through their competition to take the Southwest regular season crown with two matches to spare. Expansion side Lansing United clinched the Midwest regular season crown and will host their conference tournament while the races in the East and West are building up to an exciting finish.

LA Galaxy OC Women surged up the table in the West and sit in second place with two weeks to play. A large part of that is due to the recent form of Angelina Hix, who scored three goals and assisted on two more in a weekend home-and-home sweep over So Cal Crush FC, earning her the UWS Offensive Player of the Week award. The Inferno Rush posted back-to-back clean sheets in Week VIII action, due in large part to the consistent play of Ashley Chilcoat, as the defender logged a pair of 90-minute efforts to steady the back line. She earns the UWS Defensive Player of the Week award, making her the second Inferno player to win the award as goalkeeper Kelly O'Brien won it back in Week V.

UWS TEAM OF THE WEEK (WEEK VIII) 

GK Kelsey Daugherty (Long Island Rough Riders) - Came up with a pair of highlight reel saves to preserve a 3-2 victory over New England Mutiny

D Shauna Peare (Houston Aces) - Instrumental in the Aces back line, helped the team to a pair of clean sheets on the weekend

D Tori Martyn (Calgary Foothills Women's FC) - Scored an 89th minute equalizer in a comeback 2-2 draw against Santa Clarita*

D Ashley Chilcoat (Inferno Rush) - Posted a pair of 90-minute efforts in helping her team to post two shutouts in a key weekend

M Sabrina Flores (LA Galaxy OC Women) - Notched three assists across two games against So Cal Crush*

M Teresa Rook (Rynier) (Inferno Rush) - Scored a pair of goals and assisted on four others over a two-match weekend

M Ashlyn Skidmore (Genesee FC) - Led her side to their first win of the season, scoring two goals and assisting on another over Fort Wayne

M Dani Evans (Detroit Sun FC) - Another steady performance by the veteran and set up the game-tying goal against Michigan*

F Angelina Hix (LA Galaxy OC Women) - Paced the LAGOC offense with three goals and two assists in the weekend sweep over So Cal Crush

F Jenna Menta (New York Surf) - Capped off New York's comeback at Connecticut with an 82nd minute equalizer and netted the game-winner in the 84th minute

F Corey Sawall (Lansing United) - Scored a 1st half brace against Genesee FC to clinch the Midwest Conference regular season crown for Lansing United

HONORABLE MENTION 

D Alexia Salas (North Texas Image) - Guided the Image to a clean sheet over El Paso, playing the full 90

M Evdokia Popadinova (Santa Clarita Blue Heat) - Strong performance in the midfield in a 2-2 draw at Calgary

F Tori Baliatico (New Jersey Copa FC) - Notched a pair of goal in an early week matchup against Long Island

F Jennifer Borawski (Michigan Legends) - Team leader in goals came through with a tally against Detroit Sun

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Ashley Chilcoat (Inferno Rush)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK - Angelina Hix (LA Galaxy OC Women)

* - indicates second appearance on the UWS Team of the Week

About United Women's Soccer:

UWS is a national women’s soccer league sanctioned by U.S. Soccer. UWS is a professionally operated league created for teams that meet high minimum standards. The season runs from May until the end of July, culminating in a National Championship match. The UWS player pool is comprised of college players, aspiring & former professionals and international stars. You can follow UWS on social media on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.

Media can contact the UWS Communications office by e-mail at UWSPress@gmail.com. You can visit the league’s official website at UWSSoccer.com. Interested team applicants can contact League Commissioner Joe Ferrara, Jr. by e-mail at Joe@UWSSoccer.com.