BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week
Davis Smith, Providence, Grad., F (Amherst, Mass.)
Providence grad student forward Davis Smith had a big opening conference weekend for the Friars, scoring and adding two assists in a 3-2 win over No. 19 Seton Hall on the road on Saturday night. Smith scored in the 59th minute for Providence, tying the game at 1-1. Seton Hall followed with a goal in the 71st, but the Friars answered with back-to-back goals at 81:50 and 83:07 for the victory. Smith assisted both those goals as the PC starts conference play at 1-0-0 and win over a top 25 opponent. This is Smith’s second BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honor this season.
BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Tommy Visser, Butler, R-So., M (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Butler redshirt sophomore Tommy Visser helped the Bulldogs to a 1-0 victory at home over Connecticut on Saturday night. Visser helped a Bulldog defense that held the Huskies to just one shot on goal, eight shots total in the close match. The midfielder also played an integral role in Butler’s eventual game-winner. He intercepted the ball from his left back position, finding a cutting Wilmer Cabrera, Jr., leading to 1-v-1 opportunity against the UConn keeper. Cabrera converted the goal for the only score of the match. Visser was credited with the assist.
BIG EAST Goalkeeper of the Week
Luka Gavran, St. John’s, R-Jr., GK (Hamilton, Ontario)
St. John’s keeper Luka Gavran had a 2-0-0 week in net which included a pair of one-goal shutout victories. In the BIG EAST opener on Saturday night against Xavier, Gavran stopped three first half Musketeer attempts. SJU marked the game-winner in the 71st minute. Gavran has had four clean sheets in just seven opportunities this season. The Red Storm also shutout Columbia, 1-0, on Monday.
BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Balthi Saunders, Villanova, Fr., F (Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Balthi Saunders, a Villanova freshman forward, repeats as BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after helping the Wildcats extend their winning streak to three games as he scored the eventual game-winning goal in VU’s 1-0 win at Marquette on Saturday. Saunder’s goal was scored unassisted in the 28th minute. He now has scored goals in Villanova’s last three wins.
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Jayden Reid, UConn
Reid scored a goal and assisted the other three in Connecticut’s 4-0 win over Yale on Tuesday night in non-conference play.
Gandhi Cruz, DePaul
Cruz had eight saves in DePaul’s 3-1 non-league victory over Oakland on Saturday. Cruz has now posted three six-plus save performances this fall. Cruz made six first-half saves in the win, keeping the Golden Grizzlies off of the scoreboard on a handful of quality chances.
Marlon Tabora, Georgetown
Tabora earned the 2-1 win for the No. 1 Hoyas with game-winner in the 90th minute of play at Creighton on Saturday night in front of the largest men's soccer crowd in the nation this season topping 6,500 fans, during the annual Socctoberfest. Tabora’s goal came off a rebounded save. He fed the original shot to John Franks.
Lucas Bartlett, St. John’s
Bartlett helped the Red Storm post two shutouts with a pair of 1-0 wins over Columbia and Xavier. The defender helped SJU to a 31-11 shot margin against its opponents, 12-3 on goal. Bartlett also scored the game-winner against Columbia on Monday night.
Carson Williams, Villanova
Williams marked six saves in his first BIG EAST win of the season, a 1-0 victory over Marquette. It was Williams’ first shutout of the season.