Volume 8, October 26, 2009

PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Antoine Hoppenot (Princeton, N.J.) led Princeton in a 2-0 week, as the Tigers posted a 3-0 shutout over Colgate followed by a double overtime win over nationally-ranked Harvard. Hoppenot scored three goals for the week and was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for his efforts. On Tuesday, the sophomore forward got the Tigers on the scoreboard with a goal in the 40th minute after he picked up a great through ball from a teammate and beat the goalkeeper one-on-one. On Saturday, Hoppenot scored both of Princeton’s goals as the team delivered a 2-1 loss to Harvard, its first league loss of the season and Princeton’s first win over a ranked opponent this season. He tied the game 20 seconds after the Crimson scored on a penalty kick in the 66th minute and scored the game-winning goal at 101:14 on a header from six yards away. Hoppenot’s exploits extended Princeton’s unbeaten streak to four games.

CO-ROOKIES OF THE WEEK
Freshman defender Thomas McNamara (West Nyack, N.J.) put together two solid games this week as the Brown men's soccer team earned a tie and a win to increase its overall record to 8-1-5 on the season and a 3-1 mark in League play. McNamara played 103 minutes in Bruno's 1-1 double overtime tie against St. John's, and was a dangerous option in the attack for the Bears with a number of driving runs from the back. McNamara tallied two shots in the game, both of which were on goal, and played clinical defense all night. Against the Big Red, McNamara tallied the game-winning goal in the 71st minute of play and helped lead the Bears to its fifth shutout this year, 1-0. He has three goals on the year.

Forward Travis Cantrell (Downingtown, Pa.) picked a great time to score his first collegiate goal, as it came with 22 minutes left in regulation and provided Penn with all the scoring it would need in a 1-0 Ivy League win over Yale. The victory was Penn’s first in Ivy play this season. The freshman was able to turn on a rebounded shot and volley the ball between two Yale defenders positioned on the goalline.

THE HONOR ROLL
Making his first two starts of the season, goalkeeper Rick Pflasterer (Ann Arbor, Mich.) allowed just one goal in 200 minutes last week to post a 0.45 goals-against average. He opened the week with a shutout in his collegiate debut on Tuesday against Lafayette, then allowed just one goal to #18 Brown on Saturday night. The freshma stopped 11 shots against the Leopards and another five against Brown in seeing his first extended action of the year.

Senior goalkeeper Travis Chulick (Camp Hill, Pa.) had a pair of good games for the Bulldogs last week. Against sixth-ranked UConn, he finished with two saves. His best stop came early in the second half when he robbed Tony Cascio from point-blank range to keep it a one-goal game. On Saturday in difficult conditions, Chulick had three saves in Yale’s 1-0 loss to the Quakers. For the season, Chulick has started 13 games, has a 1.40 goals against average and a .712 save percentage.

Bayo Adafin (Rochester, Minn.) turned the Ivy League standings on its head this weekend by helping Columbia stun #15 Dartmouth on the road on Sunday. The junior forward registered a goal and an assist in the Lions' 2-0 victory, first scoring in the 69th minute on an impressive individual display and then assisting on an insurance goal by first-year Nick Ayers in the 84th minute. On the year, Adafin leads the team with five goals and 11 points.

Junior goalkeeper Paul Grandstrand (Orono, Minn.) led the outstanding defense of the Brown men’s soccer this week as the team earned a tie and a win to increase his record to 7-1-5 overall and earn a 3-1-0 mark in Ivy League play. Grandstrand tallied six saves in Brown’s 1-1 double overtime tie against St. John’s, and went on to record two saves in 90 minutes in a 1-0 victory against Cornell to earn his fourth shutout of the year. The goalie has allowed just 11 goals, and has 40 saves on the year for a .784 save percentage.  

After a bit of a slow start to the season, Dartmouth senior defender Ben Salmon (Auburn, Wash.) has returned to the starting lineup this week against South Florida and Columbia. At #8 South Florida, Dartmouth had its chances all night but could not get past the Bulls keeper in the 1-0 loss. Salmon was solid in the backline against Columbia, making some great runs out of the backfield to push the offensive tempo.

Andre Akpan (Grand Prairie, Texas), who leads Harvard with 10 goals and 25 points this fall, scored two goals this week, both on penalty kicks. With 14 seconds remaining in a 1-1 tie at Providence Tuesday afternoon, Akpan converted on a penalty-kick chance, giving Harvard a 2-1 win and its 10 victory of the season. On Saturday in an Ivy League contest against Princeton, Akpan again capitalized on a penalty kick for his 10th goal of the season. He is now three goals shy of Harvard's all-time career record, 47 set by Chris Ohiri '64.

Penn freshman goalkeeper Garon Smith (Colts Neck, N.J.) had four saves in earning his first collegiate shutout as the Quakers defeated Yale, 1-0, for their first Ivy League win of the season.

2009-10 AWARDWINNERS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sept. 8 — Andre Akpan (Harvard) & Josh Walburn (Princeton)
Sept. 14 — Austin Harms (Harvard)
Sept. 21 — Daniel Keat (Dartmouth)
Sept. 28 — Austin Harms (Harvard)
Oct. 5 — Craig Henderson (Dartmouth)
Oct. 12 — Sean Rosa (Brown) & Lucky Mkosana (Dartmouth)
Oct. 19 — Andre Akpan (Harvard)
Oct. 26 — Antoine Hoppenot (Princeton)

ROOKIE OF THE WEEK
Sept. 8 — Kevin Dzierzawski (Dartmouth)
Sept. 14 — Sean Donovan (Dartmouth) & Brian Rogers (Harvard)
Sept. 21 — Scott Armbrust (Yale)
Sept. 28 — Dylan Remick (Brown)
Oct. 5 — Brian Rogers (Harvard)
Oct. 12 — Ben Kenyon (Cornell)
Oct. 19 — Lester Nare (Princeton)
Oct. 26 — Thomas McNamara (Brown) & Travis Cantrell (Penn)