IRVINE, Calif --- The 5'2" attacker was present for all four of UC Irvine's goals this week, and it was good enough for her to earn her second Big West Offensive Player of the Week award in 2011.
What Natalia Ledezma (La Mirada / UCLA) lacks in size she makes up for in every other category. In the 'Eaters' 2-1 win at Cal State Fullerton on Friday night, she was instrumental in leading them back from a halftime deficit.
Early in the second half, she punted a corner kick into the box that led to the game-tying goal. Minutes later, she would receive a cross and rocket home an impressive strike from 15 yards out to bank in the eventual game-winning goal.
In a highly-contested home match against No. 22 Long Beach State, Ledezma continued her torrid pace. She hoisted a perfect lead pass ahead to Lexi Kopf (Sonora / Sonora HS) who would score on her breakaway opportunity and give Ledezma the eventually game-winning assist. She then put the icing on the cake with an insurance goal in the second half after receiving a fine lead pass from freshman Jenna Pellegrino (Poway / Poway HS).
Ledezma had been stumbling through her first Big West matches scoring just one point in four matches. In addition, she had scored just one goal in the last eight matches overall, but her consecutive matches with a goal and an assist have got her playing at the highest level going into the final two regular season matches for UCI.
Ledezma also won Offensive Player of the Week the week of Aug. 29th. UCI now has six total players of the week in 2011; four on offense and two on defense.
Ledezma and UC Irvine have one match this week, Sun. Oct. 23, at Cal State Northridge in a 7:00 p.m. match pitting two schools near the top of the Big West standings.
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