Contributing two goals and an assist in the weekend match-ups was enough to earn Deacon the title of Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

“I heard that I got it Labor Day morning,” Deacon said. “I got an e-mail from (MSU head coach) Rolf (van de Kerkhof) saying that I was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.”

It is the first time in Deacon’s young career that she’s achieved such an honor.

“I didn’t really know if it was big or not, but all the girls were telling me ‘yeah it’s a pretty big thing’,” she said.

“So it’s pretty amazing to get, and I know it means a lot now, but it’s my team that makes me look good.”

While only four games into the season, Deacon has been leading the Spartan offense with 15 shots and four goals. As far as the Big Ten, she currently leads in shots and is tied for the lead in goals.

She hopes to keep up her personal momentum along with supporting the entire team.

“We’re just taking (it) one match at a time,” Deacon said. “The first few matches we were playing against some good teams but obviously not the top four, which is where we want to break into and win some trophies.”

Taking it one match at a time seems to be working for the Spartans, who are now the only undefeated team in the Big Ten.

In addition to the teams’ victories and awards, they moved up 12 spots from their preseason ranking of 19 in the latest STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches’ Poll.

“Rankings are what people think of programs, and for me it is more important where we finish up than where we are now,” van de Kerkhof said. “It’s a nice confidence boost for the program and, indirectly, for the attention we get for recruiting.”

Despite being the only undefeated Big Ten team, No. 4 Iowa and No. 6 Penn State remain ahead of MSU in the rankings.

MSU returns to action in its first away match of the season Saturday in Missouri against Lindenwood, where the Spartans will put their perfect record on the line.

MSU will close its weekend of play Sunday in a road contest against St. Louis with a 1 p.m. start.