Men's Soccer Player of the Week
Alex Welch, NIU
Midfield, Junior, Carmarthen, Wales (King's College Madrid)
Alex Welch had a hand in all four goals as NIU topped West Virginia, 4-2, in Morgantown. The junior midfielder tallied assists on each of NIU’s first two goals in the contest, providing helpers for a 32nd minute tally from Ethan Pitre and a 54th minute goal by Nick Markanich. West Virginia came back to tie the match twice before Welch netted what would turn out to be the game-winning goal in the 71st minute and an insurance goal in the 89th minute. Welch has scored three goals and recorded six assists this season, ranking second on the team with 12 points.
Other Nominees
Jorge Gonzalez, SIUE
Forward, Senior, Valencia, Spain
Gonzlaez continued his scoring prowess this week, notching a goal and an assist as SIUE ran its unbeaten streak to seven games. Gonzalez scored a goal and added an assist in a 2-2 draw on the road at Wisconsin. He nearly won it for the Cougars in overtime but review ruled that the ball hadn't completely crossed the line.
David Egbo, Akron
Forward, Jr., Enugu, Nigeria
Akron junior David Egbo led the Zips to a 1-0-1 mark on the week on the strength of team-high marks in goals (1), points (2) and shots (7). In the Zips’ 2-0 victory over Michigan State on Oct. 15 he delivered a spectacular goal from 37 yards out to the upper 90, his team-leading fourth of the season, at the 56:06 mark to provide the final 2-0 outcome over the Spartans. His goal was chosen as the No. 1 on Sport Center’s Top 10 Plays of the Night as well as the NCAA Goal of the Week. He finished the contest registering a game-high four shots. In Akron’s 1-1 double-overtime draw at Western Michigan, he narrowly missed scoring the equalizer for the Zips in the 45’ as the ball crossed the goal line just before his foot struck the ball off a header by Diogo Pacheco. He concluded the match with three shots. On the season, Egbo owns team-high marks in goals (4), points (9), shots (29) and shots on goal (14), while rating third in assists.
Charlie Sharp, Western Michigan
Midfielder, Freshman, Brighton, MI
Charlie Sharp scored the game winning goal for the Broncos at Michigan on Thursday and added an assist in a draw against Akron on Sunday for a three-point week. Sharp is currently on a five game point streak and leads WMU with 14 points on the season.
