INDIANAPOLIS – Findlay and Walsh were tabbed for opening selections of Great Midwest Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Players of the Week honors as announced on Tuesday afternoon by the league.
 
Offensive Player of the Week
Nick McCracken
Findlay
Midfield
Sophomore
Findlay, OH (Van Buren HS)
 
Against future conference member Northwood, McCracken was like a cheat code in FIFA 22 the video game while tying a single-game league record for the most goals scored.
 
The Oilers had a shootout against the Timberwolves in the season opener with a 7-3 win. The sophomore McCracken erupted for four goals and had himself a hat trick by halftime. He scored in the seventh minute for UF’s first goal of the fall before striking again at the 18:59, 32:39 and 55:28 marks on the clock.
 
McCracken has taken seven shots in two games with four of those on goal. The Oilers also faced Slippery Rock for their second game of the week, a non-conference opponent.
 
McCracken scored four goals in a game for the 10th time in conference history and it was the most recent occurrence since Walsh’s Dwight Van Dyke completed the feat in 2017 against Kentucky Wesleyan.
 
McCracken leads all players with 8 points in the first week of the regular season.
 
Defensive Player of the Week
Dominic O’Connor
Walsh
Midfield
Sophomore
Middlesbrough, England (Macmillan Academy)
 
The Cavaliers are the lone team to emerge from opening weekend with a clean 2-0-0 record after defeating Daemen and Roberts Wesleyan.
 
Both games were at home for Walsh as O’Connor and his defensive teammates permitted just one goal in each contest on a combined 21 shots faced.
 
At 6-4, O’Connor is tough to get around in the middle of the field and poses a matchup problem for opposing strikers making their way up the pitch.
 
O’Connor also scored for extra measure on his only shot fired against Roberts Wesleyan on Saturday. It was Walsh’s first goal of the game in the 20:26 mark of the first half, representing an equalizer after RWC scored early in regulation.