Soccer | 10/5/2026 9:21:00 PM

DENTON, Texas (Oct. 5, 2026) - Texas Woman's freshman defender Mardie Frye was named the Lone Star Conference Defensive Player of the Week, earning the honor for the first time in her career. Frye becomes the third Pioneer to receive a weekly conference award this season, joining Faith Graves and Jaida Arizmendi, who were named Goalkeeper and Offensive Player of the Week, respectively.

Frye helped lead the Pioneers to a 2-0 week, spearheading two shutouts while also contributing a penalty kick in a key conference victory.

"Mardie has been a really important piece of our defense this season, and this week was a great example of the impact she can have," TWU head coach Babak Abouzar said. "She's an aggressive and solid defender who does a great job of disrupting what teams want to do."

Frye helped lead the Pioneers to shutouts in both matches during their 2-0 week. She played all 180 minutes, helping TWU limit Eastern New Mexico to just one shot, none of which were on goal, in a 4-0 road victory.

The freshman defender also played a pivotal role in TWU's 2-0 victory over UT Tyler on Saturday. Frye converted a penalty kick to provide the Pioneers with an insurance goal and help secure the conference victory over the Patriots.

Frye's performance continued a strong freshman season on the TWU back line. She has established herself as an aggressive and reliable defender, consistently denying corner opportunities and disrupting opposing teams' offensive strengths and game plans. Her ability to defend effectively while contributing offensively helped the Pioneers improve to 11-1 overall and 7-1 in Lone Star Conference play.

The Pioneers return to action Wednesday when they face UTPB at Pioneer Soccer Park at 6 p.m.

-PIONEERS-