Tucson, AZ (Monday, September 17, 2012) — Last Monday FC Tucson was well represented among the best college soccer players in the country. Former FC Tucson standouts Eli Galbraith-Knapp and Aaron Long were named their respective conference’s player of the week.
Galbraith-Knapp was the West Coast Conference Player of the Week after his two goals on the weekend of September 7, including a game-winner against Ohio State. It’s the first time Galbraith-Knapp has earned a POTW honor and he’s the first San Diego player to earn the honor since 2009 according to the school’s website.
Long was the Big West Conference Player of the Week after scoring a game-winning goal in a 4-3 double overtime win over UNLV last Sunday. Long also earned an assist on the team’s first goal of the match. Long was the second player for the Highlanders to earn conference POTW honors this season. Long has also helped UC Riverside earn its first national ranking in the program’s Division I history.
How’d the rest of FC Tucson players fare this weekend? Check out the capsules below.
San Francisco
The Dons played just one match over the weekend and Brendan Roslund helped his squad earn a 0-0 draw against California on Sunday, September 16. Roslund pushed aside seven shots for his second clean sheet of the season.
UNLV
Nick Marshall continues to be too much to handle for opposing defenses. On Sunday Marshall scored two goals and earned an assist in the Rebels’ 5-1 win over Canisius. His first goal in the 37th minute turned out to be the game-winner. In the 50th minute Marshall ran alongside the baseline, weaving through three defenders before sending the ball to his teammate for UNLV’s third goal. Marshall scored his second goal in the 60th minute. Marshall started and took a shot in the Rebels’ 1-0 loss to Syracuse on Friday, September 14.
San Diego
Michael D’Arrigo stepped up to the challenge of matching up against No. 6 UC Santa Barbara on Friday night. D’Arrigo set a career high in saves (9) and even stonewalled a penalty kick in the first half to keep the game scoreless. Unfortunately the Gauchos’ offensive attack was too much for the Toreros, who fell 3-0. Eli Galbraith-Knapp and James Cohn also started put couldn’t get on the score sheet.
Santa Clara
The Broncos were successful in their only match of the weekend, a 2-1 win over Stanford. Forward Carlos Montes and defender Wes Culver both started. According to the school’s website, Culver was a key part of the backline that helped stifled the Cardinal’s offensive attack.
UC Riverside
The Highlanders were ranked for the first time in the program’s division I history this past week and they solidified their ranking over the weekend. UC Riverside took down North Florida 5-0 on Friday with forward Aaron Long scoring one of those tallies at the beginning of the second half. The Highlanders’ winning streak continued on Sunday with a 1-0 win over Nebraska-Omaha where Long started and played the full 90 minutes but did not find the back of the net.
Sacramento State
The Hornets had a tough weekend, dropping both of their games over the weekend. Forward Max Alvarez and defender Matt Linenberger each started and played a full 90 minutes in the two losses: the first a 4-0 loss to No. 22 Cal State Bakersfield and the second a 2-1 loss to San Jose State.
New Mexico
No. 7 New Mexico won the TLC Plumbing, Heating and Cooling Lobo Invitational over the weekend. Defender Travis Campbell started and played a full 90 in New Mexico’s opening game of the tournament, an exciting 3-2 win over Dartmouth on Friday night. Campbell was a sub in the Lobos’ double overtime 2-1 win over UC Irvine on Sunday night.
Cal State Bernardino
On Friday, Forward Ricardo Velasco broke a team 437-minute goalless streak with a 33rd-minute free kick tally that give Cal State Bernardino a lead it never relinquished in a 2-0 win over Cal State Dominguez Hills. Velasco also got the assist on the second goal. Then on Sunday Velasco scored his second goal of the season when he converted a 78th-minute penalty kick to help the Coyotes earn a 1-1 draw with UC San Diego.
Yavapai Community College
The 2nd-ranked Roughriders dropped Paradise Valley Community College 4-0 on Thursday, September 13. Forward Junior Gbapou earned an assist on Yavapai’s fourth goal of the evening. The squad continued its winning streak with a 2-0 win over Pima Community College on Saturday, September 15. Gbapou didn’t make it on the score sheet.
