University of Denver junior forward Mariah Johnston (Columbine High School) on Tuesday received Soccer America’s player of the week honor after scoring game-winners to beat New Mexico and Colorado, the publication announced.
• Kansas defender Estelle Johnson, a junior from Rocky Mountain High School, was named the Big 12 Conference defensive player of the week after helping the Jayhawks to a 3-0 win over 20th-ranked Purdue.
DU men’s, women’s basketball teams face tough nonconference slate.
The University of Denver has finalized schedules for the men’s and women’s basketball teams, and men’s coach Joe Scott says a tough nonconference schedule will toughen up his young team and make it better later in the season.
The Pioneers open on the road at Northern Iowa on Nov. 15, and have nonconference road games with Lamar (Nov. 22) and Wyoming (Nov. 29) before playing Montana and Texas-Arlington at the Grizzly Basketball Classic (Dec. 4-5). The nonconference home games include state rivals Northern Colorado (Nov. 26) and Colorado State (Dec. 20).
The Sun Belt Conference’s 2008 NCAA Tournament participants, Western Kentucky and South Alabama, play at Magness Arena on Jan. 24 and Jan. 29, respectively.
DU did not line up an easy schedule for first-year women’s coach Erik Johnson. The season begins with a three-game homestand vs. NCAA Tournament qualifier Wyoming (Nov. 14), Cal-Davis (Nov. 21), and Nebraska (Nov. 24).
Also on the nonconference schedule is a trip to Creighton (Nov. 30).
