INDIANAPOLIS – Milwaukee sophomore forward Aaron Horvat (East Troy, Wis.) is the Horizon League Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, while Oakland’s goalkeeper Sean Lewis (Rockford, Mich.) has earned Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 23-29.
Milwaukee (7-0-1), receiving votes in national and regional polls, remained undefeated as they took on Detroit in the first Horizon League match for both squads. The high-scoring matchup resulted in a 5-3 final with the Panthers claiming the victory and continuing their best start to a season since 1985.
Horvat ignited the Panther offense as he went on a four-goal tear against the Titans. His four goals equaled the most goals in a game in Horizon League and Milwaukee history, while Horvat’s hat trick was the first in eight seasons for the Panthers. In addition to his Horizon League honors, Horvat also received “National Player of the Week” accolades by College Soccer News for his weekend performance.
Oakland (3-2-4) traveled to pre-season favorite Cleveland State and earned its first Horizon League victory in school history, outdueling the Vikings 2-1. This game followed a tough mid-week matchup against in-state rival Michigan that resulted in a 0-0 draw.
Lewis continued his defensive prowess for the Golden Grizzlies as he recorded his third-straight shutout of the season against the Wolverines. When facing the Vikings, Lewis snapped his streak of 402:42 without allowing a goal dating back to Sept. 13 but finished the match strong to ensure the victory. This marks the second Defensive Player of the Week honor for Lewis this year.
Milwaukee goes on the road for a mid-week matchup against Nebraska Wednesday, Oct. 2 at 4 p.m. CT. Oakland hosts Detroit in its third Horizon League game on Saturday, Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. EST.
Top Offensive Performers of the Week:
Matt Dudley, Oakland (So., F) – Scored first goal against Cleveland State and tied for second most shots on goal for Oakland on the week.
Brett Elder, Wright State (So., F) – Scored lone goal at Duke, scored the game-winning goal against Valparaiso and assisted the second goal against the Crusaders.
Nick Neumann, Cleveland State (Fr., M) – Scored his first collegiate goal against Oakland.
Top Defensive Performers of the Week:
Josh Beard, UIC (Sr., F/M/B) – Fifth-year senior who led a young team to a shutout on the road.
Tyler Blackmer, Wright State (Fr., GK) – Recorded four saves in first collegiate start at Duke and had three saves in first career shutout against Valparaiso.
Austin Saini, Cleveland State (So., GK) – Has tallied 11 saves on the year in two starts.
Men’s Soccer Offensive Players of the Week:
Aug. 26: Sabastian Xiong, Green Bay
Sept. 2: Laurie Bell, Milwaukee
Sept. 9: Robbie Boyd, Milwaukee
Sept. 16: Sam Krenzien, Green Bay
Sept. 23: Aaron Horvat, Milwaukee
Men’s Soccer Defensive Players of the Week:
Aug. 26: Liam Anderson, Milwaukee
Sept. 2 Nathan Steinwascher, Detroit
Sept. 9: Sean Lewis, Oakland
Sept. 16: Andrew Putna, UIC
Sept. 23: Sean Lewis, Oakland
