INDIANAPOLIS – Alderson Broaddus and Ohio Valley were picked to earn Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Players of the Week honors on Tuesday.
At 3-0-1 in league play, OVU currently has a one-point edge on Findlay (3-0-0) for first place in the Great Midwest standings. The Oilers remain unbeaten and are on a current four-game win streak after defeating Lake Erie in their lone game of the week.
AB, the defending conference tourney champs and preseason coaches poll favorite, has battled to a pair of wins and pair of ties in the conference schedule. Davis & Elkins and Trevecca are right behind with seven points apiece.
Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Week
Ashley Sibisi
Alderson Broaddus
Midfield
Sophomore – Bulawayo, Zimbabwe (Episcopal HS)
The reigning Great Midwest Freshman of the Year now has three game-winning goals to factor into all of the Battlers’ wins this season.
Sibisi helped AB take down Malone and Walsh as he increased his point total to eight (three goals, two assists).
It took double-overtime for the Battlers to beat the Pioneers, but a decisive strike from the foot of Sibisi in the 108th minute gave the Battlers two points and the win in the conference standings.
The Saturday contest featured an AB shutout against Walsh as Sibisi opened up the game’s scoring before four minutes had ticked off the clock. He also assisted AB’s final goal of the contest as 2016 Great Midwest Offensive Player of the Year Shavon John-Brown scored midway through the second half.
His three game-winning goals are tied for the league lead with Josh Hales (Findlay) and Nemanja Acimovic (Ohio Valley)
Great Midwest Defensive Player of the Week
Carlos Rubio
Ohio Valley
Goalkeeper
Valencia, Spain (University of Valencia)
Rubio’s storybook run continued as the Fighting Scots blanked Trevecca and Kentucky Wesleyan while inching closer to the United Soccer Coaches Top 25 in the Week 2 Poll.
For back-to-back weeks, Rubio has earned weekly conference defensive honors. He was also selected as the United Soccer Division II National Player of the Week, the second time a Great Midwest student-athlete has received honors already this season.
Rubio’s latest perfected craft helped him shatter the conference’s career record in shutouts. The senior keeper now has 19 and is climbing the career wins list with 26, currently third all-time only behind Cedarville’s Paulo Pinto (30) and Ethan Dewhurst (36).
In seven games, Rubio has played all possible 650 minutes in net while not allowing one goal scored. He made a season-high eight saves against Trevecca in a 2-0 win while making three more against Kentucky Wesleyan over the weekend.
The Fighting Scots’ defense as a unit permitted only 12 shots allowed in both games combined.