June 11, 2026
OKLAHOMA CITY (June 11, 2026) — The Women’s Premier Soccer League named its Week Five Regional Players of the Week presented by Global Scarves.
Rylee Howard (Oklahoma City FC) and Sam Bodensteiner (Chicago House AC) earned Central Region’s offensive and defensive honors respectively for stepping up when their teams needed them the most, securing big wins to stay unbeaten. Morgan Cupo (FC Monmouth) and Amanda Dolan (Brooklyn City F.C.) tabbed the East Region’s offensive and defensive awards for their Week Five performances.
Gabriela Enciso (Carolina FC) secured Offensive POTW while Kennedy Kelly (Georgia Impact) received Defensive POTW in the South Region for big wins that included a three-game week and downing the top team in the region. DECATUR FC’s Nicole Bidun captured Goalkeeper of the Week for the South with a shut out against a Top 20 team.
The San Francisco Nighthawks’ Bella Flocchini and Addison Bowles swept offensive and goalkeeper honors for two big shutout victories to stay undefeated and Portland Thorns FC II’s rising academy and USYNT star Lilly Yakel claimed Defensive POTW.
When U.S. Youth Nationals Team duties left Oklahoma City FC without its leading scorer for Week Five the Scissortails needed someone to step up in a big way to maintain its hot start to the 2026 season. And they got their answer in Rylee Howard.
Howard entered Oklahoma City’s first game against FC Wichita and made an immediate impact to the Scissortail offense, scoring in the 36th minute, fueling the spark the club needed. Three minutes later, Howard assisted on Oklahoma City’s second goal to take a 2-0 lead into halftime. Up by three in the 66th, Howard added another assist and finished the night with 50 minutes of play, contributing to three of the five goals scored in the 5-0 win.
For OKCFC’s second game of the week, Howard and the Scissortails traveled to face Sunflower State FC where the recent Saint Louis University grad again played a significant role in Oklahoma City’s result. After taking a 2-1 lead into half and giving up a second goal in the 77th, Howard scored the game winner in the final four minutes of regulation to claim the 3-2 win..
Howard finished the week leading Oklahoma City to two big wins while recording 120 minutes of playing time and tallying two goals and two assists, keeping the Scissortails’ unbeaten streak alive for another week and earning Central Region Offensive Player of the Week..
FC Monmouth faced a huge test in Week Five with three games in the ever-competitive Colonial Division. Coming off a tough loss, Monmouth traveled to Fever SC for a mid-week clash that resulted in a 5-4 barnburner with six different momentum shifts. The driving force to Monmouth’s comeback was led by Quinnipiac grad student, Morgan Cupo.
After going down 2-0 in the opening minutes, Cupo put Monmouth on the board with a goal in the 26th minute, sparking the equalizer 10 minutes later. Just before half Fever regained the lead to take the game 3-2 into break. Cupo was just getting started though, completing her hat trick by two additional equalizers in the 55th and 83rd to keep Monmouth in the game before conceding in heartbreak in extra time.
Despite the loss on the record. Cupo’s no-quit-grit kept Monmouth in the game which proved to be one the more electric contests of the week. With hat trick in tow, Cup earned East Region Offensive Player of the Week.
Fresh off a season-opening 2-1 win in Week Four, Carolina FC faced a three-game-packed Week Five, resulting in two wins and a loss. Belmont Abbey grad student Gabriela Enciso secured South Region Player of the Week with 270 total minutes, two goals, and three assists—directly contributing to five of the eight goals Carolina scored.
After leading Carolina to a 4-0 win to open the week, tallying a goal and assist, Enciso gave Carolina a 2-1 lead in the 19th minute of Game Two the next day, collecting another assist. Enciso added her third assist on the week in Game Three and Carolina to 3-0-1 on the season.
Three games into its 2026 season, the San Francisco Nighthawks have done a complete 180 turnaround compared to its three-game start last season, tallying a win and two defeats. New season, new Nighthawks. Former San Jose State forward Bella Flocchini (2024) led San Francisco to its third wins and shutout of the season in Week Five contributing to all three goals in the 3-0 win, securing the West Region Offensive Player of the Week honor.
The Nighthawks ended its two-game Week Five with a derby win over expansion side San Francisco Glens as direct result of Flocchini’s offensive impact. After a scoreless first first, Flocchini helped the Nighthawks get on the board by assisting the 54th-minute goal. Two minutes later, she doubled the ‘Hawks lead with a goal of her own, but wasn’t done yet: in the 63rd, Flocchini notched another goal to seal the 3-0 win and lead the Nighthawks to 3-0-0, outscoring opponents 10 to 0.
HONORABLE MENTION OFFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS presented by Hudl
* Submitted by WPSL Comms Staff
Chicago House AC entered the Chicago Derby in Week Five, taking on the KICS Friday night. The KICS came into the match having scored eight goals in its previous two matches, allowing only a single goal. Duke junior defender Sam Bodensteiner led Chicago House AC to its third consecutive shut out on the season in the 6-0 win.
After starting the game at center back, Bodensteiner really set the tone with switching out wide, creating opportunities to get back the KICS defenders, sending crosses into the box and tallying an assist on the night. With five tackles and four defensive stops, Bodensteiner’s impact was felt across the whole field.
Bodensteiner’s performance secured Chicago House its third win of the season, remaining unbeaten after four games while outscoring its Lake Shore opponents 13 to one, earning her Central Region’s Defensive Player of the Week.
University of Mary Washington senior Amanda Dolan earned East Region Defensive Player of the Week honors after securing Brooklyn City F.C.'s first win of 2026 and first shutout since June 2024.
Brooklyn came into Week Five fresh off a 2-0 defeat against the reigning Metropolitan Conference champions to face an STA side on the road that’s one two of the last three meetings. Playing the full 90 minutes, Dolan’s impact on the Brooklyn back line limited STA’s shot opportunities and with four defensive stops, keeping the home side off the score sheet. Dolan’s defensive efforts led Brooklyn to the 2-0 win, improving to a 1-1-0 start to 2026 and shifting momentum back to Brooklyn.
South Region Defensive Player of the Week is awarded to Georgia Impact’s Kennedy Kelly after leading Impact to two wins in Week Five, including a gutsy 1-0 win over the No. 1 team in the region. The incoming Stanford freshman defender recorded 90 minutes of play in each game, winning 86 percent of her 1v1 duals and making seven defensive stops.
“Kennedy is young but has shown incredible knowledge helping lead the back line and has shown that if you are good enough you are old enough,” Robert Roddie, Georgia Impact head coach, said. “Thanks to Kennedy's pace and defensive tenacity we were able to keep the clean sheet vs Chattanooga FC who were number 1 team in the South Region.”
Portland Thorns FC II finally kicked off its season in Week Five with a road game at Vancouver and picked up where it left from its conference-winning run last season. With a goal, and an assist in 90 minutes of playing time, U16 U.S. Youth National Team and Thorns FC Academy rising prospect Lilly Yakel led the Thorns to its ninth win since 2025 and a dominant 5-1 season-opener victory.
“At only 15 years old, Lilly continues to establish herself as one of the top young talents in the country,” Gabriel Tatz, Portland Thorns FC II executive director, said. “Her performance in the opening match was another example of the impact, maturity, and potential that have made her one of the Academy's most exciting young players.”
HONORABLE MENTION DEFENSIVE PLAYMAKERS presented by Hudl
* Submitted by WPSL Comms Staff
No nominations from Central and East Regions were submitted..
Harvard University transfer Nicole Bidun led DECATUR FC to its first win and shutout of 2026 in front of its home crowd. Protecting the goal for 90 minutes against a strong Nashville side fresh off a 3-4 barnburner defeat the game before, Bidun made nine saves to earn the clean sheet and South Region’s Goalkeeper of the Week.
Addison Bowles earned back-to-back Goalkeeper of the Week honors for the West Region after recording 170 minutes in the net over two games, making six saves and earning two clean sheets. The incoming Iona College freshman led the Nighthawks to its third win and third shutout of the season, winning the first meeting of the San Francisco Derby in WPSL play.
HONORABLE MENTION GOALKEEPER PLAYMAKERS presented by Hudl
* Submitted by WPSL Comms Staff
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