Creighton defender Akeem Ward helped the Bluejays to a 1-0-1 week with two shutouts.
Four Teams Make Up First #BEfútbol Weekly Honors
BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Brandon Guhl, Butler, Jr., F (Houston, Texas)
Butler’s Brandon Guhl scored the game-tying goal in Friday night’s top 10 matchup between No. 9 Butler and No. 4 Akron. Guhl scored in the 60th minute, tying the game in Akron, Ohio at 2-2. Guhl finished the night with two shots in the contest. Akron had held onto a 2-1 lead since the 44th minute.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Akeem Ward, Creighton, Sr., D (Vienna, Va.)
Creighton’s Akeem Ward helped the Bluejays to a 1-0-1 opening weekend. Ward had a pair of assists during Creighton’s season-opening 2-0 upset over No. 11 Clemson on Friday night. He also helped guide the Bluejays to consecutive shutouts to start the season for the first time since 2015. Ward and the Creighton defense limited Clemson’s offense to just five total shots, none on goal. In the 0-0 draw against U.C. Davis, the Bluejays allowed just nine shots, one on goal during 110 minutes of play. Ward played all 200 minutes of action.
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week
Giannis Nikopolidis, Georgetown, Fr., GK (Athens, Greece)
Georgetown’s Giannis Nikopolidis made his debut in net with a 1-1-0 road result for the weekend. Nikopolidis collected eight saves, six in a 2-1 2OT loss to No. 18 Coastal Carolina. The freshman’s debut resulted in a shutout victory with two saves at South Carolina. He finished the weekend with a .93 goals against average and a .800 save percentage for No. 13 Georgetown.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
CJ Tibbling, Seton Hall, Fr., F (Hagagatan, Sweden)
Seton Hall rookie CJ Tibbling scored both goals for the Pirates in a season-opening 2-1 double-overtime victory at Army West Point on Friday. Tibbling got the Pirates on the board with a penalty kick in the 17th minute, then converted the game-winner with a running header in the 105th minute. He led all shots in the match with five shots, four on goal.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Lukas Sunesson, Marquette, Fr., F (Taby, Sweden)
Sunesson scored two goals in Marquette’s 3-1 win over Valparaiso at home on Saturday in his collegiate debut. Both of his goals came in the second half. He finished with four shots, including three on target in 69 minutes of action.
Alex DaCosta, Providence, Jr., M/F (Bristol, R.I.)
DaCosta scored the double-overtime game-winner to defeat No. 8 Southern Methodist University on Friday, opening the Friars’ season in a winning fashion. DaCosta played 170 minutes over the weekend, including 86 against SMU. He registered an additional shot in the 3-0 loss to Illinois-Chicago.
Matt Forster, St. John’s, Jr., M (Bedford, England)
Forster scored two goals in a 4-1 win over Loyola Marymount on Sunday, scoring in the ninth minute to put the Red Storm up 2-0 early before adding the insurance tally in the 85th minute. St. John’s four-goal outburst marked the highest single-game output by a St. John’s team since 2013. The Red Storm lost, 2-0 to UC Santa Barbara on Friday. Forster had one shot.
Zach Zandi, Villanova, Sr., M (West Chester, Pa.)
Villanova’s Zandi scored the game-winning goal in the 88th minute of Friday’s 1- win at Delaware. Zandi had two shots for the contest.
Simen Hestnes, Xavier, Sr., M (Oslo, Norway)
Hestnes put up the first hat trick of his career against NAIA opponent Cincinnati Christian on Friday, helping Xavier to a 6-0 victory. Xavier went 1-0-1 for the week with a 0-0 draw against Northwestern.