As one of the UC Davis women’s soccer team’s three captains, senior midfielder Ashley Edwards earned first team accolade and received All-Big West recognition, on her way to concluding her impressive career at UC Davis. Edwards has improved steadily every season and has saved the best for last, posting consistently high stats this season.
Edwards began playing for the Aggies in 2010, starting six of the 17 games that season and tallying three points on a goal and an assist in her first year. In her sophomore season, Edwards scored two game-winning goals and finished fourth on the squad with eight points. The 2012 season was one of the biggest highlights of Edwards’ career at UC Davis, as she was a starter in all 19 games. Her game against San Jose State saw her lead the Aggies with a team-high four points on two goals. She continued her good form and finished the season with a team-high seven goals.
Before the start of the 2013 season, Edwards earned one of the 12 spots on the 2013 Big West Conference Preseason All-Conference Team. With the momentum of earning preseason accolades, Edwards managed to continue her good form in every game this season. Of her four goals scored, three ended up being the game-winners against Cal State Northridge, Pacific and Drake University.
Edwards finished her last season as an Aggie with a team-high nine points, which consisted of four goals and one assist. Besides scoring crucial goals for the Aggies, she also made the most of her chances, as evidenced by her 0.182 shooting percentage, which was tied for first on the team.
Edwards was also very durable throughout the season and managed not to pick up any major injuries along the way, as she only missed one of the Aggies’ 18 games this season. This consistent availability allowed her to continually contribute to UC Davis’ attack.
Victory can only be achieved by constant self-improvement and optimization. Edwards, who kept making progress in her career and posted team-high results in each season, helped the Aggies end their season with their second-highest finish since joining the Big West Conference.
With all of her accomplishments in the last four years, but especially her outstanding play this season, Edwards is worthy of being recognized as an honorable mention.
