Oct. 16, 2006
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – Notre Dame sophomore Matt Besler (Overland Park, Kan./Blue Valley West) has been named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week, while Irish freshman Michael Thomas (Olathe, Kan./St. Thomas Aquinas) was named the conference’s Rookie of the Week for their efforts in Notre Dame’s 3-0 wins over Michigan State and Providence last week. Thomas, a midfielder, was also named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week.
Besler, a central defender, tallied Notre Dame’s first goal in the win over the Spartans. It was his second goal of the season. He played all 180 minutes during the week in helping the Fighting Irish, who have an 11-3-2 record overall and a 7-2-0 mark in the BIG EAST, post their eighth and ninth shutouts of the season. Notre Dame has held its opponent scoreless in six of the last eight matches and the Irish are allowing just 0.72 goals per game.
Thomas notched the first goal of his collegiate career against Michigan State and followed it up with another tally against Providence. He is the second member of the Irish selected to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week this season, joining junior forward Joseph Lapira (Lake Charles, La./Saint Louis Catholic), who was named the National Player of the Week by the soccer web site on two occasions. Thomas becomes the first Notre Dame player to be named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week since John Mousinho on Nov. 1, 2004. Besler is the first Defensive Player of the Week for the Irish since Kevin Goldthwaite on Oct. 4, 2004.
The Irish are no strangers to BIG EAST accolades this season as Lapira has been named Offensive Player of the Week three times, including the previous two weeks. Senior forward Justin McGeeney (Ames, Iowa/Ames) copped the offensive honor on Aug. 28 and senior Chris Cahill (Louisville, Ky./DeSales) was named Goalkeeper of the Week on Oct. 2. Cahill was named to this week’s BIG EAST weekly honor roll for posting the shutouts against the Spartans and Mountaineers last week. He has eight shutouts this season to go along with a .067 goals-against average and a 10-2-1 record.
The eighth-ranked Fighting Irish will embark on a crucial BIG EAST road trip this week to close out the regular season. Notre Dame battles West Virginia on Wednesday (Oct. 18) at 7:00 p.m. before traveling to Connecticut for a Saturday (Oct. 21) showdown at 7:00 p.m. The Mountaineers and Huskies are tied for first in the BIG EAST Blue Division with 22 points apiece, while the Irish are alone in second place with 21 points.
— ND —