Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner
MSOC | Gaels Sweep First Weekly Awards from WCC
8/30/2021 2:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
SAN MATEO, Calif. — The first West Coast Conference weekly soccer awards of the 2021 season were announced on Monday, August 30, and it was a clean sweep for the Gaels in week one.
Freshman forward Jack Vestberg was named Offensive Player of the Week and fifth year goalkeeper Nicholas Lapinid was announced as the Defensive Player of the Week.
Vestberg checked off a few firsts for him in the Gaels opener, scoring the team's first goal of the season in in his first collegiate game and first start.
The Stockholm, Sweden native put a left-foot shot past the Cal keeper in the 86th minute of the opener in the Gaels 1-0 victory and persistently stretched the Bears defense with runs down the right side and middle of the field.
The WCC Defensive Player of the Week winner is on the other end of the experience spectrum for the Gaels, as Lapinid started all nine games for Saint Mary's in the spring of 2021, and finished second in the conference in saves. The Gaels keeper made four saves against Cal and withstood some furious late-game pressure by the Bears to preserve 1-0 shutout.
This is the second WCC Defensive Player of the Week award for the Simi Valley, Calif. native in his career at Saint Mary's, as the fifth-year senior also won the award in the week of March 9 last season after his shutout against San Diego.
Saint Mary's will remain at home to close out the month of August when they host Cal Poly today, August 30 at 4:00 pm inside Saint Mary's Stadium. The Mustangs did not play during the 2020 season, but will be in action this week to kick off their new campaign. This marks the second match of four-in-a-row at home for the Gaels to open up 2021.
#GaelsRise — Single game tickets are on sale through the month of September! To select your game and your tickets, click HERE!
Freshman forward Jack Vestberg was named Offensive Player of the Week and fifth year goalkeeper Nicholas Lapinid was announced as the Defensive Player of the Week.
Vestberg checked off a few firsts for him in the Gaels opener, scoring the team's first goal of the season in in his first collegiate game and first start.
The Stockholm, Sweden native put a left-foot shot past the Cal keeper in the 86th minute of the opener in the Gaels 1-0 victory and persistently stretched the Bears defense with runs down the right side and middle of the field.
The WCC Defensive Player of the Week winner is on the other end of the experience spectrum for the Gaels, as Lapinid started all nine games for Saint Mary's in the spring of 2021, and finished second in the conference in saves. The Gaels keeper made four saves against Cal and withstood some furious late-game pressure by the Bears to preserve 1-0 shutout.
This is the second WCC Defensive Player of the Week award for the Simi Valley, Calif. native in his career at Saint Mary's, as the fifth-year senior also won the award in the week of March 9 last season after his shutout against San Diego.
Saint Mary's will remain at home to close out the month of August when they host Cal Poly today, August 30 at 4:00 pm inside Saint Mary's Stadium. The Mustangs did not play during the 2020 season, but will be in action this week to kick off their new campaign. This marks the second match of four-in-a-row at home for the Gaels to open up 2021.
#GaelsRise — Single game tickets are on sale through the month of September! To select your game and your tickets, click HERE!
Players Mentioned
GK
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