USL PRO News Release
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – USL PRO announced its Team of the Week for the sixth week of the 2012 season today, honoring Rochester Rhinos goalkeeper Kristian Nicht as Player of the Week after he extended his shutout streak to six games with an outstanding 10-save performance on Saturday night against the Charleston Battery at Blackbaud Stadium.
Nicht, who has yet to concede a goal as the Rhinos have tied the USL PRO record with six consecutive victories to start a season, was remarkable against the Battery. Despite almost continuous pressure that saw the Battery amass a 20-2 advantage in shots, the 30-year-old German stood tall to allow Danny Earls’ second-half goal to give his side victory.
Joining Nicht on the Team of the Week is his teammate Troy Roberts, who put in a stellar performance in the Rhinos’ 1-0 victory against the Charlotte Eagles the night before. Roberts helped his goalkeeper maintain his shutout streak by making three goal-line clearances while marshalling the Rhinos defense in impressive fashion.
Roberts was joined on the Team of the Week defense by another pair of players who had strong weekends as their clubs took a pair of victories. The Los Angeles Blues’ Erlys Garcia put together a pair of solid performances as the Blues shut out both the Dayton Dutch Lions on Friday night and the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday, helping the club jump up to fourth place in the league standings. Orlando City’s Wes Allen, meanwhile, scored his first professional goal, and played the full 90 minutes in both of the Lions’ victories against Antigua Barracuda FC.
Garcia was joined by a teammate on the Team of the Week, with recent addition Bright Dike making an immediate impact for the Blues in their two victories. The on-loan Portland Timbers striker was a handful in both of the Blues’ contests, and had a goal and assist in their 3-0 win against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday night.
Allen’s teammates Max Griffin and John Rooney were also named to the Team of the Week, with Griffin scoring once and causing the game-winning goal in Friday night’s victory. Rooney played a key role in the Lions’ victory on Sunday, assisting Griffin’s game-tying goal as Orlando rallied to victory.
In addition to Allen, Richmond’s Chris Agorsor also scored his first professional goal as the Kickers took a 2-2 draw against the Harrisburg City Islanders on Saturday night. He was joined on the Team of the Week by City Islanders midfielder J.T. Noone, who also notched a goal and an assist to continue his good start to the season.
USL PRO Team of the Week
| Pos | Player | Team | Highlights |
| GK | Kristian Nicht | Rochester | Was outstanding in 10-save shutout to maintain Rhinos’ perfect start |
| D | Erlys Garcia | Los Angeles | Composed at the back as the Blues recorded back-to-back road shutouts |
| D | Wes Allen | Orlando | Scored his first professional goal as the Lions took two wins in Antigua |
| D | Troy Roberts | Rochester | Remarkably consistent, way key player in win against Charlotte |
| D | John Wilson | Charleston | Marauding runs allowed Charleston to keep Rhinos under constant pressure |
| M | J.T. Noone | Harrisburg | Had a goal and assist as City Islanders rallied twice for point in Richmond |
| M | Kyle Knotek | Dayton | Was effective in midfield as Dutch Lions battled well with Blues |
| M | John Rooney | Orlando | Had assist, and controlled midfield, as Lions earned win on Sunday |
| F | Bright Dike | Los Angeles | Two outstanding performances helped Blues pick up two victories |
| F | Chris Agorsor | Richmond | Pair of goals led Hammerheads to easy win against Antigua |
| F | Max Griffin | Orlando | Played key role in game-winner on Friday, added first goal of season Sunday |
Honorable Mention – Antigua – Stefan Smith; Charleston: Sallieu Bundu, Tony Donatelli; Charlotte: Josh Rife, Jorge Herrera; Dayton: Matt Williams; Harrisburg: Yann Ekra; Los Angeles: Matt Fondy, Allan Russell; Richmond: Matt Delicâte; Rochester: Danny Earls.