LOCK HAVEN, Pa. – Slippery Rock University women's soccer defender Faith Diffenbacher was named the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference Western Division Defensive Athlete of the Week for the first time in her career, the conference office announced Monday.
 
Diffenbacher led The Rock to a 2-0 record last week with a 3-2 win at Edinboro and a 2-0 home victory against California (Pa.). On the week, the Huron, Ohio native recorded three points on one goal and one assist, placing one of her three shots on net.
 
Against Edinboro, Diffenbacher tallied the game-winning goal in the 63^rd minute, earning Slippery Rock its sixth straight win.
 
That streak increased to seven wins when Diffenbacher accompanied Slippery Rock's defensive core that includes Nina King, Brooke Riefenstahl and Libby Zacharyasz, in limiting Cal's scoring chances to a minimum in a shutout win. Diffenbacher registered an assist in the effort, the second of her career.
 
With SRU's sixth shutout of the season, Diffenbacher and the defense allowed Cal to place just one of its five shots on target. Additionally, The Rock held a convincing advantage in corner kicks over the Vulcans, 10-3.
 
On the season, Diffenbacher has netted five points on two goals and one assist, matching her offensive output from a year ago. The junior has also rifled a career-high 11 total shots in her 2023 campaign. Diffenbacher has yet to miss a minute of play this year, starting every contest.
 
Diffenbacher is just the second defender for Slippery Rock to be named PSAC West Defensive Athlete of the Week. She joins Zacharyasz, who was named to the weekly award Sept. 25 and Oct. 23.
 
Slippery Rock has now won a PSAC West weekly award six times this year, the most since winning six times in 2021.
 
With attackers Sydney Patrick and Morgan Sarver previously named PSAC Athlete of the Week this season, Diffenbacher's accolade marks the first time since 2019 that four unique SRU players have been named to a PSAC West weekly award. Rachel Edge, Jordyn Minda, Kayla Swope and Emma Yoder all received at least one PSAC West weekly honor in 2019.
 
Slippery Rock will look to increase its unbeaten streak to nine straight games when it hosts Gannon University 3 p.m. Tuesday at James Egli Field in its regular season finale. The Rock fell to the Golden Knights earlier this year on the road, 4-2.



To stay up to date with all that happens at The Rock, follow our official athletic communication accounts on 'X' (formerly Twitter, @Rock_Athletics), Facebook (RockAthletics) and Instagram (RockAthletics).