Salazar Tabbed Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week
IRVING, Texas – For the second-consecutive week, a member of the Kansas soccer team was selected as the Big 12’s Offensive Player of the Week it was announced by the league office Tuesday morning. Senior Liana Salazar claimed the honor after her one goal, three assist weekend in KU’s first two matches of conference play. The award marked the third weekly honor of Salazar’s career, as well as the third by a Jayhawk this season.
Salazar, who hails from Bogota, Colombia, was the centerpiece of the KU offense in the Jayhawks’ first weekend of Big 12 play, scoring once and adding three assists. In KU’s 2-1 loss to Texas Friday, Salazar posted her first assist of the year on Grace Hagan’s goal in the 80th minute, to help give her team a fighting chance over the final 10 minutes of play. Two days later, she keyed KU’s offensive explosion against Iowa State, tallying assists on both of the Jayhawks’ first-half goals. In the second half, she netted her fourth goal of the season and 25th of her career when she struck off a 19-yard free kick for her team’s fourth and final goal of the day. The four-point game was the third of Salazar’s career and most by a Jayhawk this season.
Salazar is the third Jayhawk to earn the conference’s weekly honor this season after Parker Roberts claimed the Big 12 Freshman of the Week distinction on Sept. 1 and junior Ashley Pankey was awarded Offensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 29.
Salazar and the rest of her KU teammates will return to Rock Chalk Park this weekend for a pair of Big 12 contests. The Jayhawks will take on the Baylor Bears on Friday, Oct. 9 in a 7 p.m. start, before welcoming in the Oklahoma Sooners on Sunday, Oct. 11. The 1 p.m. match will be televised on Time Warner Cable Sports Channel and ESPN3.
