Men's Soccer Co-Players of the Week
Nick Markanich, NIU
Forward, Senior, Bourbonnais, Ill. (Bradley-Bourbonnais)
Nick Markanich scored three goals to help the Huskies to a pair of wins over Eastern Illinois (Sept. 7) and 18th-ranked Marquette (Sept. 10). To open the week against the Panthers, Markanich scored in the 11th minute, what proved to be the game-winning goal, and tallied again in the 36th as the NIU topped Eastern Illinois, 5-1. Three days later against the nationally ranked Golden Eagles, the forward from Bourbonnais, Ill., opened the scoring after just four minutes, giving the Huskies an early lead with his second consecutive game-winning goal as the Huskies blitzed Marquette, 3-0, for their third consecutive victory over a ranked opponent, dating back to last season. With his five goals this season, Markanich is tied for fifth in the nation in goals while his nine points is tied for seventh-best nationally. In his four-year NIU career, Markanich currently has 28 goals, including eight game-winners.
Will Meyer, Akron
GK, Sr., Solon, Ohio
Akron senior goalkeeper was spectacular in goal for the Zips this past week helping the squad register a 2-1 triumph past No. 3 Pitt and garner a 1-1 double-overtime draw with No. 3 Indiana. Meyer made six saves each against the Panthers and Hoosiers, with most of the diving variety that thwarted direct scoring chances for Akron's opponents. Three of his six saves versus Pitt came in the second half, including a pair after the Panthers had netted the equalizer. Against Indiana, four of his six stops came in the second half and overtime. He made diving saves in each of the overtime periods that helped the Zips earn a result against the Hoosiers. On the week he posted 12 saves and now owns a 0.77 goals against average for the season.
Other Nominees
Kevin Morris, West Virginia
Defender, Fifth-year senior, Mt. Airy, Md.
Kevin Morris scored the game-winning goal in WVU's 1-0 win over Ohio State on Friday night. The tally came off a corner kick in the third minute of action. Morris, a co-captain, also anchored the Mountaineer back line in two clean-sheet performances on the week. West Virginia allowed just one shot on goal to Loyola (Md.) on Monday night and only two to Ohio State. In all, WVU hasn't allowed a goal in the last 207 minutes of play.
Dylan Sing, Western Michigan
Midfield, Junior, Berrien Center, Mich. (Lakeshore)
Dylan Sing helped the Broncos pick up their first two wins of the season with a three-goal week. In WMU's 2-0 win over Butler he netted the game-winning goal in the 15th minute to put the Broncos up 1-0. In Friday's 3-0 win over Dayton he netted the second goal of the game for the Broncos in the 37th minute to put them up 2-0 and then put the game out of reach for the Flyers with his second goal of the game in the 60th minute.
Kyle Cusimano, Bowling Green
Midfielder, Sophomore, Bay Village, Ohio (Bay)
Bowling Green’s Kyle Cusimano was involved in the scoring of all three goals as the Falcons defeated Michigan State, 3-0, on the road. The win was the Falcons’ first over the Spartans in 20 years, and it was the first time in program history that BG beat MSU by as many as three goals in East Lansing. Cusimano scored the Falcons’ second goal of the afternoon while picking up the primary assist on each of BGSU’s other two goals. His free kick in the 36th minute was headed home by Jacob Erlandson for what proved to be the winning goal. He scored a goal of his own with just over an hour gone, making a nifty move to round the MSU goalkeeper, and he then hit a cross that was knocked into the net by Roberto Fernandez Garrido with 15 minutes to go. Cusimano now has nine points in 18 career matches after Saturday’s Marshall contest. He had one shot attempt in each of last week’s two games. BGSU is now 3-1-1 on the year after a 1-0 loss to the defending national champion Thundering Herd on Saturday night.
Justin Guest, Georgia State
Midfielder, Junior, McDonough, Ga.
Junior Justin Guest recorded his first career hat trick and first three goals of the season in the Panthers win over UNC Asheville on Tuesday night. More remarkably, Guest recorded the hat trick in just seven minutes of the second half. Guest got the Panthers on the board in the 64th minute and then struck again thanks to an assist from Simon Carlson just 97 seconds later. Guest got his third goal of the night after being taken down in the box and was awarded a penalty kick which found the back of the net in the 71st minute of play. Guest finished the night with five shots including four shots on goal.
Adam Davie, Georgia Southern
Forward, Senior, Nottingham, England
Adam Davie posted a goal and an assist in the Eagles 2-1 come from behind victory on Friday night. Davie scored the equalizer in the 58th minute, before assisting on the game winning goal in the 70th minute. The Eagles scored twice in the second half to down North Florida 2-1 in Statesboro.
