WINTHROP, Mass. – Simmons University's Cíara Forde (Quincy, Mass) was named the Great Northeast Athletic Conference Player of the Week for the week of September 17-23, it was announced today by the league. 

Forde becomes the first Shark to earn the weekly top player award since Kashka Gammon was named for the week of October 5-11, 2015. 

In two matches, the senior tallied three goals, including a pair of game winners to lead Simmons to a 2-0-0 week. The North Quincy High School graduate netted the game-winner in the 97^th minute of play to give the Sharks a 2-1 overtime victory at University of Saint Joseph (Conn.) on September 19. The Tri-Captain followed her heroics by netting a pair of goals, to match her career best, with her second giving Simmons the lead for good in a 3-2 triumph over previously unbeaten Saint Joseph's College (Maine) on September 22. 

For the season, the midfielder has started all seven matches and leads the Sharks with 11 points on five goals and an assist and has come through with the game-winner three times. She currently leads the GNAC in game-winners, while ranking 10^th in goals and 12^th in points. Forde has tallied at least one point in four straight matches and five of seven for the year. 

Forde has played in 63 career matches, while getting the starting nod on 59 occasions. She has netted 24 goals and assisted on 10 others to give her 58 career points to rank fifth in goals, sixth in points and eighth in assists among Simmons players over the past 15 years. Forde has made her goals count with eight of them going down as game-winners for the second-most for a Shark over the last decade and a half. 

The Sharks are currently riding a four-match win streak and are 4-3-0 on the season, including 3-1-0 in league play, and will be in action again tomorrow night when they take on Newbury College for a 7:00 p.m. tilt at Daly Field.