Complete Release

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- For the second time in her career and just the third time for any player in program history, Christopher Newport senior Riley Cook has been named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week after an impressive individual performance last week. Cook scored 11 points on five goals and two assists as she factored into all six goals scored by the nationally-ranked Captains in a pair of wins at home. 

This is the second time Riley Cook has been named the United Soccer Coaches National Player of the Week after first garnering the recognition on September 24, 2019. Before her, only Gabby Gillis had earned the prestigious weekly honor on September 4, 2018. 

Last week, Cook helped Christopher Newport toppled Sewanee (3-1) and Virginia Wesleyan (3-0) to extend the Captains' win streak to nine to start the year; it is the first time in program history the CNU women's soccer team has started a year 9-0-0. In the two victories, Cook scored both game-winning goals and posted 11 total points to tie for the second-best two-game stretch of her career. 

First up, against the Tigers of Sewanee, Cook scored the first two goals and then assisted on Molly Beegle's tally in the 65th minute. She smashed home the first goal in the 15th minute after a patient trek around the top of the box, ripping the shot into the left side of the netting, and then added the eventual gamewinner in the 32nd minute on a beautiful give-and-go between Beegle and Cook that left the Captains' leading scorer open in the box for a hard shot. 

Against the Marlins on Sunday night, Cook notched her sixth career hat trick by scoring all three goals. She is the first player, men's or women's, in the history of CNU soccer to post more than four hat tricks in a single career. It was the second time she tormented the Marlins with a three-score game as she showed off her powerful swing on the first two goals and added a soft touch with the third. 

The most decorated Captain of all time, the two-time first team All-American earned National Player of the Week honors for the second time. She continues to prove herself as one of the top offensive players in the nation in all of NCAA play including Division I, II, and III. Cook ranks second in Division III and third overall among active players in total points and total goals scored in her career. With 74 career goals in 72 games played, the Mechanicsville, Va. native has posted a 1.03 per game average to this point in her career. 

Cook and the Captains have won 55 games in her tenure. In those 55 games, Cook has an impressive 28 gamewinners. Since 2010 when the NCAA began keeping track of game-winning goals, Cook's 28 ranks ninth in NCAA women's soccer across all three divisions.  

Christopher Newport is set to play Salisbury University on Wednesday at 4:00 pm and will then not play again until Saturday, October 16 against Mary Washington.