NEW ORLEANS (JMU Athletics) – James Madison women’s soccer defender Selma Rajakangas has been named the Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week, the league announced on Tuesday afternoon.
The award comes on the heels of an opening weekend for JMU where they tallied five total goals over two matches. In the season opener at NC State, Rajakangas helped anchor a backline that shut out an autonomy opponent for the first time since 2022. She then added the first assist of her career in the 75th minute to help secure the 3-0 win, the first shutout win for the Dukes over an autonomy opponent since 2018 and the first win over an ACC opponent since 2014.
Rajakangas then recorded her second assist in as many games to start the season by taking a pass from Jeanette Fieldsend and finding Ellie Farrell in the box for an equalizing goal in the first half against Liberty.
Rajakangas becomes the first true freshman to win the award since JMU joined the league in 2022. She joins former JMU defender Brittany Munson as the only James Madison players to be honored in the inaugural week of the season.
JMU returns to the pitch on Thursday, Aug. 21, where it will hit the road to take on Georgetown for a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.
— JMU Athletics —
