INDIANAPOLIS – Six points were seized in the standings by Findlay and Lake Erie as both programs earned Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Players of the Week honors on Tuesday.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Ben Bolinger
Findlay
Defense
Senior
South Euclid, OH (Brush HS)
 
Bolinger has now played in 70 games in the Great Midwest as one of the original Findlay student-athletes who started their careers in 2017-18 in a new conference.
 
Now a captain as a senior, Bolinger is a steady force on both sides of the ball as the Oilers pitched a pair of shutouts last week against Kentucky Wesleyan and Trevecca Nazarene.
 
Bolinger had his fingerprints over both games in the Findlay victories, scoring two goals, including the game winner vs. Kentucky Wesleyan, and then providing a game-winning assist vs. TNU.
 
Bolinger converted PK’s in each half as part of a 4-0 Oilers’ win. The only goal against TNU was scored late in regulation as the senior fed teammate Christian Palushaj in the 82nd minute.
 
With 10 points in the conference standings, the Oilers are now 4-4-1 overall and 3-2-1 in the Great Midwest schedule.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Fabian Kiessetz
Lake Erie
Defense
Junior
Dresden, Germany (SG Dynamo Dresden)
 
With first place on the line, Lake Erie defeated newly nationally ranked Walsh in a showdown of two of the Great Midwest’s best over the last week.
 
It capped a strong week by the Storm, who also secured a 5-1 win over Malone on Thursday. LEC now has 15 points in the conference standings after beating the Cavaliers on the road, 1-0.
 
In a game with just 11 combined shots between both programs, Kiessetz came through in the 80th minute for the decisive blow.
 
Kiessetz was credited with a pair of shots in the game, both on target. Lake Erie allowed just eight shots to be taken by the Cavaliers.
 
Lake Erie improved to 6-2-1 overall and stand at 5-1-0 in the conference standings.