University of Memphis Athletics
Nov 04, 2026 | Women's Soccer
IRVING, Texas – Four University of Memphis women's soccer players collected American Conference weekly honors, with Ellis Kelly being named Offensive Player of the Week, Abby Forsgren earning Freshman of the Week and Ally Casey receiving Defensive Player of the Week. Ai Kitagawa rounded out the Tigers' recognition with an honorable mention.
The honors come after Memphis capped off its regular season with a pair of victories over East Carolina and UAB, finishing unbeaten in American Conference play for the fourth consecutive season and securing the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Kelly led the American Conference in scoring last week, recording two goals and an assist in Memphis' 3-0 victory over East Carolina on Friday.
The junior opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a long ball from Forsgren before firing a low-driven shot into the back of the net for the eventual game-winner. Kelly added an assist in the 32nd minute when her shot was saved and Zerina Markovic tucked away the rebound to double the Tigers' advantage.
Kelly capped off her career-high five-point performance in the 71st minute, unleashing a powerful strike into the upper-left corner to seal the victory. She now has six goals on the season, tied for eighth in the conference, and 13 in her Memphis career.
Forsgren earned Freshman of the Week honors after tallying a goal and two assists across Memphis' two victories.
The freshman midfielder recorded two assists in Friday's 3-0 shutout of East Carolina before opening the scoring in Tuesday's 2-1 victory at UAB. Forsgren found the back of the net just before halftime with a long-range strike into the upper-left corner for her fifth goal of the season.
Forsgren's eight assists this season are the second most by a freshman in program history. She also leads all American Conference freshmen with 18 points, recording five goals and eight assists during her debut collegiate campaign.
Casey was named Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring a Memphis backline that limited East Carolina and UAB to a combined four shots on goal across two matches.
The junior defender played all 180 minutes during the week, helping the Tigers secure a 3-0 clean sheet against East Carolina before closing out the regular season with a 2-1 road victory over UAB.
Casey has been a consistent presence in the Memphis defense throughout the season, starting every match and playing all but 19 minutes while helping the Tigers complete their fourth consecutive unbeaten American Conference campaign.
Kitagawa earned an honorable mention after recording a goal and an assist in Memphis' 2-1 victory at UAB.
The junior midfielder assisted Forsgren's opening goal before delivering the match-winner in the 77th minute with a long-range strike to secure three points for the Tigers. Kitagawa totaled 13 shots during the week, including six on goal.
Kitagawa now has nine goals and eight assists on the season, leading the American Conference with 1.73 points per game. Her game-winning goal against UAB marked the 25th of her Memphis career.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will head to Lakewood Ranch, Fla. for the American Conference Championship where they will face No. 8 seeded North Texas in the first round at 6:30 p.m. CT on Sunday. The match will be available on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
The honors come after Memphis capped off its regular season with a pair of victories over East Carolina and UAB, finishing unbeaten in American Conference play for the fourth consecutive season and securing the No. 1 seed in the upcoming conference tournament.
Kelly led the American Conference in scoring last week, recording two goals and an assist in Memphis' 3-0 victory over East Carolina on Friday.
The junior opened the scoring in the 14th minute, collecting a long ball from Forsgren before firing a low-driven shot into the back of the net for the eventual game-winner. Kelly added an assist in the 32nd minute when her shot was saved and Zerina Markovic tucked away the rebound to double the Tigers' advantage.
Kelly capped off her career-high five-point performance in the 71st minute, unleashing a powerful strike into the upper-left corner to seal the victory. She now has six goals on the season, tied for eighth in the conference, and 13 in her Memphis career.
Forsgren earned Freshman of the Week honors after tallying a goal and two assists across Memphis' two victories.
The freshman midfielder recorded two assists in Friday's 3-0 shutout of East Carolina before opening the scoring in Tuesday's 2-1 victory at UAB. Forsgren found the back of the net just before halftime with a long-range strike into the upper-left corner for her fifth goal of the season.
Forsgren's eight assists this season are the second most by a freshman in program history. She also leads all American Conference freshmen with 18 points, recording five goals and eight assists during her debut collegiate campaign.
Casey was named Defensive Player of the Week after anchoring a Memphis backline that limited East Carolina and UAB to a combined four shots on goal across two matches.
The junior defender played all 180 minutes during the week, helping the Tigers secure a 3-0 clean sheet against East Carolina before closing out the regular season with a 2-1 road victory over UAB.
Casey has been a consistent presence in the Memphis defense throughout the season, starting every match and playing all but 19 minutes while helping the Tigers complete their fourth consecutive unbeaten American Conference campaign.
Kitagawa earned an honorable mention after recording a goal and an assist in Memphis' 2-1 victory at UAB.
The junior midfielder assisted Forsgren's opening goal before delivering the match-winner in the 77th minute with a long-range strike to secure three points for the Tigers. Kitagawa totaled 13 shots during the week, including six on goal.
Kitagawa now has nine goals and eight assists on the season, leading the American Conference with 1.73 points per game. Her game-winning goal against UAB marked the 25th of her Memphis career.
UP NEXT
The Tigers will head to Lakewood Ranch, Fla. for the American Conference Championship where they will face No. 8 seeded North Texas in the first round at 6:30 p.m. CT on Sunday. The match will be available on ESPN+.
HOW TO FOLLOW THE TIGERS: For complete information on Memphis Tigers Soccer, visit www.GoTigersGo.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Players Mentioned
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