Francis Marion University Athletics

Sophomore forward Kristina Syragakis of the Francis Marion University women's soccer team has been named the McDonald's Student-Athlete of the Week for the opening week of 2023 fall semester, Aug. 28-Sept. 4.

The native of Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec, Canada, scored a pair of goals in the Patriots' season-opening 3-1 victory over Newberry College on Sept. 3.  She gave FMU a 1-0 advantage with a penalty kick at the 28:01 mark, after she was fouled in the box.  That play also resulted in a straight red card for a Newberry defender, allowing the Patriots to play with a man advantage for the final 62 minutes.  Syragakis scored the final tally in the 85th minute when Jordan White headed the ball to her, and she split a pair of defenders to poke a 7-yard shot past the Wolves' goalkeeper.

It was the first brace for a Patriot player since the 2019 season.

Francis Marion will play a pair of non-conference road matches this week: at Shaw University on Wednesday at 5 p.m. and at Erskine College on Saturday at 2 p.m.

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