PDL News Release
Thursday, May 17, 2012
TAMPA, Fla. – The PDL announced its Team of the Week for the second week of the 2012 season today, honoring Des Moines Menace forward Husref Jupic as Player of the Week after he had a hat trick in his side’s 4-1 victory against the St. Louis Lions, giving the Menace their first victory of the season this past Saturday.
Jupic’s goals came in a 12-minute flurry in the second half. After Logan McDaniel gave his side the lead, Jupic bagged his first in the 51st minute before quickly completing his hat trick. It was the first hat trick for the Menace in exactly five years, with Thomas Boltnar’s trick coming on May 12, 2007.
Jupic was among a number of players who had notable attacking performances, with Memphis standout Mark Sherrod making an immediate impact for the Portland Timbers U-23s in their opening game of the season. Sherrod had a pair of first-half goals as Portland took a 3-0 victory.
Worcester’s Alencar Junior also bagged a pair of goals in the Hydra’s first victory in club history as it took a 2-0 win against the Boston Victory, while the Brooklyn Knights’ Stefan Dimitrov led his side to a 2-1 victory on the road in their opener against the Westchester Flames.
There was also impressive firepower shown in midfield last week, with the Nashville Metros’ Iyassa Bekele scoring twice in their victory against the West Virginia Chaos that capped a two-win swing through West Virginia to open the season. Kitsap’s Kyle Johnson had two goals and an assists in the Pumas’ victory against Fraser Valley, while Fredericksburg’s Don Smart had a goal and assist as the Hotspur got their season off to a winning start against Northern Virginia.
Defensively, goalkeeper Robert Muller was rewarded for his strong performance for the Texas Dutch Lions, recording a shutout as the club earned its first victory with a 2-0 win against the Laredo Heat. IMG Bradenton’s Andrew Farrell played a key role in a pair of shutout wins, while Carolina’s Jonathan Campbell and the LA Misioneros’ Kareem Morad each scored in victories for their respective sides.
The PDL season continues this weekend with 38 games scheduled from Friday through Sunday. Among them is the inaugural contest for the Baltimore Bohemians, who host the Ocean City Nor’easters at Cedar Lane Park on Saturday night at 7 p.m. ET. Also making their first appearance in the PDL are the Chicago Inferno, who face the tough task of travelling to play the defending Great Lakes Division champion Michigan Bucks in their opening game in franchise history.
In addition, there are a number of interesting early-season matchups as the Orange County Blue Star visit the Fresno Fuego, while the Nashville Metros will try to continue their strong start as they host the Carolina Dynamo in their home opener.
Stay up to date with all of the action through the PDL’s Twitter feed and Facebook page, which will provide nightly updates of scores from across North America, and links to news, previews and game reports.
PDL Team of the Week
| Pos | Player | Team | Highlights |
| GK | Robert Muller | Texas | Had five saves as Dutch Lions took first victory in club history |
| D | Andrew Farrell | IMG Bradenton | Was key to a pair of shutouts as Academics won opening two games |
| D | Jonathan Campbell | Carolina | Had goal and played well defensively in Dynamo’s season-opening win |
| D | Kareem Morad | LA Misioneros | Scored game-winning goal as Misioneros defeated Ventura County |
| M | Iyassa Bekele | Nashville | Had a pair of goals as Metros opened season with two wins |
| M | Kyle Johnson | Kitsap | Had two goals and assist as Pumas rolled past Fraser Valley |
| M | Don Smart | Fredericksburg | Goal and assist helped Hotspur to victory against Royals |
| F | Alencar Junior | Worcester | Had both goals as Hydra claimed first victory in club history |
| F | Husref Jupic | Des Moines | Hat trick in 12 minutes keyed Menace’s victory against St. Louis |
| F | Mark Sherrod | Portland | Timbers U-23s standout had two goals in victory against Mariners |
| F | Stefan Dimitrov | Brooklyn | Scored twice as Knights won season opener on road against Westchester |
Honorable Mention – Austin: Tony Rocha, William Morse; Carolina: Karo Okiomah, Donnie Smith; CFC: Jesse Menzie; Des Moines: Lebogang Moloto; El Paso: Enrique Cervantes; IMG Bradenton: Marco Lobo, Patrick Toh; Kitsap: Stephen Mohn; Nashville: Andrew Chamberlain; New Jersey: Dritan Sela; Ocala: Carlos De Araujo; Orange County: Christian Ramirez; Palmetto: Luke Perry; Portland: Reed Matte, Emery Welshman; Reading: Greg Cochrane; Sounders U23: Doug Herrick; Southern West Virginia: Stephen Millage; Texas: Austin Brown, Oliver Ortiz; Tucson: Travis Sanchez; Victoria: Matt Mehrassa, Ashley Burbeary; VSI Tampa: John Koshko, Kenny Hogg; Westchester: Jake Keegan.