MacEwan Athletics

EDMONTON – Women's soccer defender Samantha Gouveia has been named the Sandman Signature Player of the Month for the month of September.

Gouveia wins a free night stay at the Sandman Signature Hotel in downtown Edmonton.

The Griffins captain is tied for the team lead in scoring after six September games with two goals and four points and is one of only two players on the team who've played every minute of every game so far.

Gouveia's also third on the squad in in shots (12) and is tied for the second-most shots on goal (10). Those would be impressive enough totals for an offensive player, but as a centre-back, Gouveia is tasked with leading MacEwan's defensive efforts, as well, so her numbers speak to a true multi-faceted presence on the field.

"She's a quarterback for us back there in the buildup phase," head coach Dean Cordeiro told macewangriffins.ca last month. "When Sammy's on the ball, it's like having Tom Brady on the ball. Whether it's a short five-yard pass or whether she wants to bypass and hit somebody on the weak side with a 20-30 yard dime, she puts it right on their foot.

"There's very few people who can do what Sammy does back there. To have somebody that comfortable on the ball – nothing phases her, she's seen it all – building up your play, it's something we're very blessed to have."

Coming off a bye week, the Griffins (5-1-0) will resume their 2021 season with a pair of road games at Mount Royal University (3-4-1) on Saturday and Sunday (both 1 p.m., Canada West TV presented by Co-op).