PDL Feature
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
After reaching the College Cup in 2011, Creighton had high expectations entering the new college soccer season. Now, after an up-and-down start to the season, the Bluejays appear to have hit their stride, with a pair of former PDL players leading the way as the side extended its undefeated streak to five games. Reading United’s Jose Gomez and the Portland Timbers U-23s’ Andrew Ribeiro led the current and former PDL alumni to earn national honors with their standout performances in the past week.
Gomez was named the TopDrawerSoccer.com Player of the Week after leading the Bluejays offensively with a goal and four assists in their pair of victories. Gomez became the first Creighton player since 2008 – when former Chicago Fire PDL player Seth Sinovic recorded the same feat – to record three assists in a game, helping the Bluejays to a 3-2 overtime victory against Princeton.
Gomez then had a goal and an assist in his side’s 3-0 victory against Central Arkansas, allowing the Bluejays to remain undefeated and on top of the Missouri Valley Conference standings. Gomez, who also played for the Orange County Blue Star in 2010, now leads Creighton with 13 points this season, while also leading the MVC with seven assists.
Ribeiro did his work at the other end of the field, with the Timbers U-23s standout taking the MVC’s Defensive Player of the Week award as he helped the side maintain its shutout streak in conference play against Central Arkansas.
Joining Gomez on the TDS Team of the Week were six other PDL alumni, with 2012 All-Western Conference selection Gyasi Zardes of the Ventura County Fusion continuing his strong season for CSU Bakersfield. TopDrawerSoccer’s No. 1-ranked upperclassman in the country, and the No. 1 prospect for the MLS SuperDraft according to MLSSoccer.com, scored four goals in the Roadrunners’ 6-2 victory against Seattle, giving him 11 goals and 28 points this season.
Akron’s David Meves, who spent this summer with the Chicago Fire PDL, continued his strong fall as he recorded a pair of shutouts in the Zips’ pair of victories last week. Meves recorded eight saves in the two games, which gave him 47 shutouts, just one behind the school’s all-time leader Evan Bush.
Reading United teammates Chris Harmon, of Old Dominion, and Steven Neumann, of Georgetown, were both selected, with Harmon scoring twice and adding an assist in the Monarchs’ 3-1 victory against UNC-Wilmington on Saturday night. Neumann, meanwhile, also claimed Big East Offensive Player of the Week honors after his two goals and assist helped the Hoyas take a pair of victories.
Neumann, who leads the Big East with eight assists, scored a second-half goal on Sunday as the Hoyas handed No. 2 Marquette its first loss of the season. The victory moved Georgetown into third place in the Big East’s Blue Division, but tied on points with both the Golden Eagles, UConn and Notre Dame as the battle for the title heats up.
Carolina Dynamo standout Robbie Lovejoy made an emphatic return to action after offseason surgery, scoring a hat trick in North Carolina’s 3-0 victory against the College of Charleston. The standout performance, coming in his first game of the season, also earned Lovejoy the College Soccer News Player of the Week award, and the ACC Player of the Week award.
Former Central Jersey Spartans standout Christian Francois was the final TDS Team of the Week selection, with the Maryland forward scoring a pair of goals as the No. 1 Terrapins took another pair of victories. Maryland rallied from an early deficit to defeat Rutgers 2-1 last Tuesday, Francois scoring the game-tying goal before New Orleans Jesters standout Patrick Mullins netted the game-winner, and then defeated ACC rival Duke 2-1 as Francois bagged what proved to be the game-winner just before halftime.
Elsewhere, Chicago Fire PDL forward Joey Calistri and Ocean City Nor’easters goalkeeper Tyler Miller swept the Big Ten’s Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards for Northwestern as the Wildcats took victories against Notre Dame and Ohio State. Calistri had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win against the No. 7 Fighting Irish, while Miller recorded nine saves across the two games, earning a shutout against the Hoosiers in a 1-0 victory.
River City Rovers defender Andrew Farrell earned Big East Defensive Player of the Week honors after helping the Cardinals go 1-0-1 in the past week. Louisville’s strong run in conference play continued with a 1-0 win against St. John’s that kept the Cardinals three points clear at the top of the conference’s Red Division.
The Washington Crossfire’s Nate Sackeyfio claimed the Pac-12 Player of the Week award after leading the University of Washington to victories against both UCLA and Stanford. The Huskies are now the only remaining undefeated team in the Pac-12, topping the standings with a record of 4-0-1.
Former Michigan Bucks defender Ben Hunt took the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week award after leading Central Florida to a pair of shutouts. The Knights claimed a 1-0 victory against SMU, limiting the Mustangs to two shots on goal as their nine-game undefeated streak came to an end.
Baltimore Bohemians forward Peter Caringi claimed the America East Player of the Week award for the second time this season after scoring four goals and adding two assists for UMBC. Caringi had a hand in all of the Terriers’ goals as they took a 5-1 victory against Boston University, recording a hat trick.
Monmouth’s Joseph Schmid, an alumnus of the Central Jersey Spartans, took Player of the Week honors in the Northeast Conference after recording a goal and two assists in the Hawks’ two victories last week, while former Michigan Bucks forward Kyle Bethel claimed his second consecutive Summit League Offensive Player of the Week award as his two goals allowed Oakland to remain undefeated in conference play with a 3-1 win against UMKC.