Beaverton High senior Abby Rice is up for Oregon Girls Soccer Player of the Week for the second time this fall.
OregonLive nominated Rice, a center back and team captain, for the week of Oct. 26 after she anchored the Beavers' defense in two Metro League games. Beaverton beat Southridge 3-1 on Oct. 19 and played Mountainside to a 1-1 draw, according to MaxPreps.
The Mountainside result stands out. The Mavericks sit at No. 6 in the final statewide 6A coaches poll, published Monday by the Valley Times, with a 7-3-4 record. That poll is advisory and does not affect the OSAA's playoff rankings.
OregonLive writer Dan Brood described Rice as a leader who "stands out with leadership, a positive attitude and fearlessness" on defense while also posing an offensive threat.
Rice was also nominated for the week of Oct. 13. She is one of several Beaverton players drawing statewide recognition this season.
OregonLive named senior forward Kate Parker among the best forwards in 6A. Beaverton head coach Chelsey Evans called Parker "an exceptional student-athlete" who "has scored the majority of our goals this season off headers, volleys and just exceptional shots." Senior goalkeeper Olivia Foland and freshman goalkeeper Emma Whiteley also earned spots on OregonLive's best goalkeepers in 6A list. Evans praised Foland's "command in the back and relationship with her defensive line" and called Whiteley "fearless" in goal.
Beaverton sits fourth in the Metro League at 5-7-2 in conference play. The Beavers' recent stretch has been a mixed bag. A 7-0 loss to Jesuit on Oct. 14 and a 2-3 defeat to Westview on Oct. 8 came between wins over Sunset (1-0 on Oct. 5) and Putnam (3-2 on Oct. 1). The Southridge win and Mountainside draw closed the week on a stronger note heading into the postseason push.
Player of the week voting closes Sunday at 11:59 p.m., with the winner announced Monday.
Beaverton plays a non-league match at Franklin on Tuesday, Oct. 27, at 7 p.m.
