Sept. 7, 2006
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – The honors keep rolling in for Notre Dame’s Joseph Lapira (Lake Charles, La./Saint Louis Catholic). Soccer America and Soccer Times have named the junior forward the National Player of the Week for his four-goal performance against Indiana on Sunday, Sept. 3. Lapira notched the career-high total, which included the game-winner, in a 5-4 overtime victory against the eighth-ranked Hoosiers in the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic. Earlier in the week, Lapira was tabbed the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week and he was named to the College Soccer News Team of the Week.
In addition to the national accolades, Lapira was named the BIG EAST Conference Offensive Player of the Week and the adidas/IU Credit Union Classic Offensive MVP.
It was a Fighting Irish sweep for the Soccer America National Player of the Week honor as Notre Dame’s Amanda Cinalli won the women’s award. Cinalli factored in four of the Irish’s five goals in their wins over USC (2-0) and then-No. 2 Santa Clara (3-1) at Notre Dame’s Inn at Saint Mary’s Classic.
Lapira’s four goals established an Indiana Classic record and the total was one shy of the Notre Dame record of five, achieved by Kevin Lovejoy in 1993. By netting three goals, Lapira became the first Irish player to register a hat trick since Devon Prescod did so against Cleveland State during the 2003 campaign.
Lapira leads the Fighting Irish in goals with five and points with 10. He put up team-high numbers in both of those categories last season with seven goals and 19 points to go along with five assists, which tied him for the lead. His 15 career goals are the most for any current Irish player.
No. 8/11 Notre Dame will open BIG EAST play this weekend as South Florida comes to Alumni Field for a 7:30 p.m. showdown on Friday (Sept. 8.) Notre Dame will then host DePaul on Sunday (Sept. 10) at 1:00 p.m.