CLEVELAND, Ga. (October 20, 2025) – On Monday, junior Erin Ward of the No. 11 Truett McConnell University women's soccer team was named the Appalachian Athletic Conference Women's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.

Ward played a crucial role in leading the Lady Bears to two of the three key conference victories. The junior defender anchored TMU's back line in a dominant week of play, helping limit opponents to just three total shots across two matches. In TMU's 1-0 win over Reinhardt University, Ward was featured making multiple key defensive stops that kept the Eagles from finding an offensive rhythm. She followed that performance by scoring a goal in the Lady Bears' 2-0 victory over Milligan University, where TMU's defense held the Buffaloes to just a single shot. This marks Ward's first weekly honor of the season.

The Lady Bears return to action on Wednesday, October 22, as they travel Knoxville, Tenn. to face Johnson University for an AAC matchup. Kick-off set for 5:00 p.m.