Emily Sands, Taheeb Sonekan earn Ivy League Player of the Week honors

On Monday, two Penn athletes were honored for their clutch performances on the field over the weekend. 

Penn women’s soccer junior midfielder Emily Sands was named Ivy League Player of the Week after scoring the winning goal against Columbia, and Penn football junior defensive lineman Taheeb Sonekan was named Ivy League Special Teams Player of the Week after he blocked two field goal attempts in the Quakers’ narrow win over Sacred Heart.

For Sands, it was her first time receiving such recognition, but the West Chester, Pa. native has been a force for the Red and Blue her entire career. As a freshman in 2016, she was named Ivy League Rookie of the Week three separate times on her way to earning first team All-Ivy recognition, and she’s been even more dominant this season.

Sands leads the Quakers in scoring, having earned12 points on five goals and two assists. Perhaps even more impressive is that all five of Sands’ goals have been game-winners as she has proven to be indispensable in the team’s 8-1-1 start to the season.

Prior to this week, senior forward Sasha Stephens was the only women’s soccer player to win the weekly award this season.

Sonekan’s award-winning effort was also instrumental Penn football’s 31-27 win over the Pioneers, as the points he saved ultimately proved to be necessary for the Red and Blue to win the game.

Sonekan also set a record with his two blocks. No player in Penn’s history has ever recorded two field goals blocks in the same game, and he tied the FCS and Ivy League’s single-game record. 

Three weeks ago, senior kicker Jack Soslow earned the same award for his prowess on the other end of the snap. Soslow was named the Ivy Special Teams Player of the Week after he too made Penn’s record book with two successful field goals from 49 yards and 48 yards in Penn’s win over Bucket.