INDIANAPOLIS -- Valparaiso senior Zev Taublieb (Malibu, Calif.) is the Horizon League Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week while Detroit senior Nathan Steinwascher (Sterling Heights, Mich.) is the Defensive Player of the Week for the week of Sept. 22-28. Steinwascher collects the award for the second time this season.
Valparaiso (5-1-2, 1-0-0) continued its winning ways with a mid-week contest against Loyola and opened conference play on Friday night versus League newcomer Belmont. The Crusaders defeated Loyola at home in overtime, 1-0, and then took the road to Nashville, Tenn. where they beat the Bruins, 2-1.
Taublieb highlighted the Crusaders’ offensive attack throughout the week, garnering four points in the two games. On Tuesday versus Loyola, he scored in the 95th minute when he found the back of the net on a rebound off of the Ramblers’ goalkeeper from teammate Nick Suker’s shot. The game-winning goal was Taublieb’s first of the season. In the squad’s League opener against Belmont, the midfielder once again found a rebound in front of the goal in the 14th minute to launch in the back of the net.
Detroit (4-3-1, 1-0-0) faced conference-foe Wright State Saturday afternoon for its only game of the week. The Titans trailed 1-0 at halftime but rallied in the final 45 minutes to capture the victory, 2-1. Each of the goals scored for Detroit were within minutes of one another, with the first at the 71:11 minute mark and the second at 72:44.
Steinwascher had a solid performance in the net for the Titans on Saturday, allowing only one goal in 90 minutes of action. The senior tallied three saves on seven shots, four of which were on-goal. The victory is Steinwascher’s fourth of the year.
Valparaiso takes the pitch tonight in a non-League match at Brown Field against Dayton with the first kick at 7:00 p.m. ET. Detroit hosts League rival Oakland on Wednesday night for a 4 p.m. ET match.
Top Offensive Players of the Week:
Diego Figueroa, Belmont (F, Sr.): Lifted Belmont from off of the bench in its League opener and scored in the 61st minute.
Eric Lynch, Wright State (F, So.): Scored in the game against Northern Kentucky and assisted on Wright State’s lone goal at Detroit.
Alec Nagucki, Cleveland State (M, Fr.): Scored his first career goal in the 24th minute at Milwaukee on Saturday, giving the Vikings an early 1-0 lead en route to a 3-1 win.
Dan Nakashima, Detroit (F, Fr.): Notched his first collegiate goal when he scored the game-winner versus Detroit. During the game, he had four shots, including three on-goal;.
Matt Rickard, Oakland (F, Jr.): Scored the equalizing goal in the 66th minute to earn a draw against UIC in the League opener to mark his first goal of the season.
Top Defensive Players of the Week:
Ramone Howell, Valparaiso (M, Fr.): In his defensive efforts throughout the season, he helped Valparaiso to a top-ten ranking in goals against average in the country in the first month of play.
Offensive Players of the Week
Aug. 25: Jesus Torres, UIC
Sept. 2: Eric Lynch, Wright State
Sept. 9: Audi Jepson, Green Bay
Sept. 16: Jorge Alvarez, UIC
Sept. 23: Zev Taublieb, Valparaiso
Defensive Players of the Week
Aug. 25: Nico Campbell, Valparaiso
Sept. 2: Thomas Villamil, UIC
Sept. 9: Nathan Steinwascher, Detroit
Omar Lawrence, Valparaiso
Sept. 16: Tyler Blackmer, Wright State
Sept. 23: Nathan Steinwascher, Detroit
