WHAT’S ON TAP IN THE WACUMKC opens the week with a home match against SIUE on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Bakersfield takes its perfect record to UC Riverside. Undefeated UNLV hosts its second straight tournament when UMBC and Detroit visit Las Vegas for the UNLV Nike Invitational beginning Friday evening.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE – Bakersfield’s Julian Zamora, a freshman forward from Bakersfield, Calif. (Golden Valley HS), led all WAC players with four goals in two matches last week. Bakersfield beat Howard, 5-0, on Friday and then IPFW on Sunday, 3-0. Zamora came off the bench in both matches to score two goals in each. Against Howard, he had five shots, three on goal, and then scored on his only two shots against IPFW on Sunday. Zamora was named the Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament at the Johann Memorial Classic in Las Vegas.
DEFENSIVE – UNLV’s Kyle Mellies, a senior defender from Las Vegas, Nev. (Silverado HS) was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Johann Memorial Classic after leading UNLV to a pair of 4-0 victories against IPFW and Howard over the weekend. Mellies anchored a defense that allowed just three shots total over the two games with only one on goal.
Others nominated on offense:
Jose Rodriguez, So., F, Grand Canyon - had the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win over Pacific and made three shots in the game, all on goal.
Tobenna Uzo, So., F, Houston Baptist - scored his first goal of the season and fourth point of the year in the Huskies 1-1 tie against Oral Roberts.
Ben Conway, So., F, Incarnate Word - scored the Cardinals’ only goal in a 2-1 loss against Oral Roberts and attempted six shots in 55 minutes of action.
Jordan Rideout, Sr., F, Missouri-Kansas City - recorded his first goal of the season in a 2-2 tie against Missouri State on Saturday.
Rory Knibbs, So., F, San Jose State - notched his first career hat trick in a 4-1 win over Massachusetts and added an assist to scored seven points in the match. All three goals came in the last 22 minutes.
Ibrahima Drame, Fr., F, Seattle U - scored his first career goal in his first career appearance at Washington.
Also nominated on defense:
Jake Schenk, So., GK, Air Force - recorded his first shutout of the season in a 0-0 double overtime tie at Army. He made five saves and has not allowed a goal in the last 190 minutes.
Nicolas Clever, So., GK, Bakersfield - had a pair of shutout victories last week against Howard and IPFW, making a total of three saves in both matches.
Jordan Slack, So., D, Grand Canyon - tallied two assists in the win over Pacific on Saturday and helped hold the Tigers to just four shots, including none in the last 14 minutes of the match.
Kevin Suarez, Sr., GK, Houston Baptist - made six saves in a 1-1 tie versus Oral Roberts.
Shane Haworth, Jr., GK, Seattle U - made six saves in the match at Washington.
Skyler Milne, So., MF, Utah Valley
BAKERSFIELD, UNLV UNDEFEATED AND UNTIED
After two weekends of play, both Bakersfield and UNLV are perfect on the season. UNLV is 4-0 while Bakersfield is 3-0. Both teams played the same two opponents last weekend at the UNLV Johann Memorial Classic. Both teams shutout both Howard and IPFW in both matchups and won their matches by a combined scored of 8-0. As of Sunday, there were 15 other perfect teams in Division I.
TWO HAT TRICKS IN FIRST WEEK
After no WAC player recorded a hat trick in 2013, there have been two posted already this season. UNLV’s Sal Bernal recorded the WAC’s first hat trick since 1999 with three goals at Bradley on Aug. 31. San Jose State’s Rory Knibbs added another three-goal match on sept. 2 in the Spartans’ 4-1 victory over Massachusetts.
WAC MEN’S SOCCER EXPANDS TO 10 TEAMS
For the first time since 1999, the WAC sponsored men’s soccer during the 2013 season. Seattle U won the 2013 regular season title with an undefeated mark of 7-0-3 and earned the WAC tournament title to advance to the NCAA tournament where it won its first round game. For 2014, the WAC has added two more teams to expand to 10 this season. The league is made up of both full time members of the WAC and affiliates: Air Force (affiliate), Bakersfield, Grand Canyon, Houston Baptist (affiliate), Incarnate Word (affiliate), Missouri-Kansas City, San Jose State (affiliate), Seattle U and Utah Valley. New this season are Incarnate Word and Utah Valley. UIW comes to the WAC after starting its transition from Division II to Division I last season in which it played as an independent. Utah Valley begins its first season of sponsoring men’s soccer.
REGULAR SEASON FORMAT
Regular-season play consists of a single round-robin format between all 10 teams and an additional match against each team’s travel party for a total of 10 matches. The points system is as follows: each team will receive three points for a win and one point for a tie.
2014 WAC TOURNAMENT
The WAC Men’s Soccer Tournament will be held at Seattle U, November 13-14 and 16. The top six eligible teams will participate (Grand Canyon and Incarnate Word are ineligible due to their transition from Division II to Division I).
FUTURE MEMBER
The WAC will expand its men’s soccer league next year with the addition of Texas-Pan American in 2015. The Broncs have hired Paul Leese as their head coach.
WHAT’S ON TAP IN THE WAC
UMKC opens the week with a home match against SIUE on Wednesday night. On Thursday, Bakersfield takes its perfect record to UC Riverside. Undefeated UNLV hosts its second straight tournament when UMBC and Detroit visit Las Vegas for the UNLV Nike Invitational beginning Friday evening.
PLAYERS OF THE WEEK
OFFENSIVE – Bakersfield’s Julian Zamora, a freshman forward from Bakersfield, Calif. (Golden Valley HS), led all WAC players with four goals in two matches last week. Bakersfield beat Howard, 5-0, on Friday and then IPFW on Sunday, 3-0. Zamora came off the bench in both matches to score two goals in each. Against Howard, he had five shots, three on goal, and then scored on his only two shots against IPFW on Sunday. Zamora was named the Outstanding Offensive Player of the Tournament at the Johann Memorial Classic in Las Vegas.
DEFENSIVE – UNLV’s Kyle Mellies, a senior defender from Las Vegas, Nev. (Silverado HS) was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Johann Memorial Classic after leading UNLV to a pair of 4-0 victories against IPFW and Howard over the weekend. Mellies anchored a defense that allowed just three shots total over the two games with only one on goal.
Others nominated on offense:
Jose Rodriguez, So., F, Grand Canyon - had the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win over Pacific and made three shots in the game, all on goal.
Tobenna Uzo, So., F, Houston Baptist - scored his first goal of the season and fourth point of the year in the Huskies 1-1 tie against Oral Roberts.
Ben Conway, So., F, Incarnate Word - scored the Cardinals’ only goal in a 2-1 loss against Oral Roberts and attempted six shots in 55 minutes of action.
Jordan Rideout, Sr., F, Missouri-Kansas City - recorded his first goal of the season in a 2-2 tie against Missouri State on Saturday.
Rory Knibbs, So., F, San Jose State - notched his first career hat trick in a 4-1 win over Massachusetts and added an assist to scored seven points in the match. All three goals came in the last 22 minutes.
Ibrahima Drame, Fr., F, Seattle U - scored his first career goal in his first career appearance at Washington.
Also nominated on defense:
Jake Schenk, So., GK, Air Force - recorded his first shutout of the season in a 0-0 double overtime tie at Army. He made five saves and has not allowed a goal in the last 190 minutes.
Nicolas Clever, So., GK, Bakersfield - had a pair of shutout victories last week against Howard and IPFW, making a total of three saves in both matches.
Jordan Slack, So., D, Grand Canyon - tallied two assists in the win over Pacific on Saturday and helped hold the Tigers to just four shots, including none in the last 14 minutes of the match.
Kevin Suarez, Sr., GK, Houston Baptist - made six saves in a 1-1 tie versus Oral Roberts.
Shane Haworth, Jr., GK, Seattle U - made six saves in the match at Washington.
Skyler Milne, So., MF, Utah Valley
bakersfield, unlv undefeated and untied
After two weekends of play, both Bakersfield and UNLV are perfect on the season. UNLV is 4-0 while Bakersfield is 3-0. Both teams played the same two opponents last weekend at the UNLV Johann Memorial Classic. Both teams shutout both Howard and IPFW in both matchups and won their matches by a combined scored of 8-0. As of Sunday, there were 15 other perfect teams in Division I.
TWO HAT TRICKS IN FIRST WEEK
After no WAC player recorded a hat trick in 2013, there have been two posted already this season. UNLV’s Sal Bernal recorded the WAC’s first hat trick since 1999 with three goals at Bradley on Aug. 31. San Jose State’s Rory Knibbs added another three-goal match on sept. 2 in the Spartans’ 4-1 victory over Massachusetts.
WAC MEN’S SOCCER EXPANDS TO 10 TEAMS
For the first time since 1999, the WAC sponsored men’s soccer during the 2013 season. Seattle U won the 2013 regular season title with an undefeated mark of 7-0-3 and earned the WAC tournament title to advance to the NCAA tournament where it won its first round game. For 2014, the WAC has added two more teams to expand to 10 this season. The league is made up of both full time members of the WAC and affiliates: Air Force (affiliate), Bakersfield, Grand Canyon, Houston Baptist (affiliate), Incarnate Word (affiliate), Missouri-Kansas City, San Jose State (affiliate), Seattle U and Utah Valley. New this season are Incarnate Word and Utah Valley. UIW comes to the WAC after starting its transition from Division II to Division I last season in which it played as an independent. Utah Valley begins its first season of sponsoring men’s soccer.
REGULAR SEASON FORMAT
Regular-season play consists of a single round-robin format between all 10 teams and an additional match against each team’s travel party for a total of 10 matches. The points system is as follows: each team will receive three points for a win and one point for a tie.
2014 WAC TOURNAMENT
The WAC Men’s Soccer Tournament will be held at Seattle U, November 13-14 and 16. The top six eligible teams will participate (Grand Canyon and Incarnate Word are ineligible due to their transition from Division II to Division I).
FUTURE MEMBER
The WAC will expand its men’s soccer league next year with the addition of Texas-Pan American in 2015. The Broncs have hired Paul Leese as their head coach.