CAMBRIDGE, Mass. -- Stony Brook University and University of Hartford men's soccer teams each extended its win streak in men's soccer to three games last week and a pair of players who helped make it happen are the America East men's soccer weekly award winners for the week ending Sept. 16. The honors were announced Monday morning.
The Seawolves' Leonardo Fernandes tallied seven points in two wins to earn Player of the Week accolades for the fourth time in his career, while the Hawks' Javoni Simms picked up his second straight Rookie of the Week trophy by scoring twice in as many wins.
Fernandes (North Babylon, N.Y.) scored three goals, including both game winners, and added an assist as the Seawolves improved to 5-2-0 over the weekend. The senior midfielder, who has been named America East Midfielder of the Year each of the last two seasons, had a goal and an assist in a 2-1 win over Fordham on Friday as he set up Alejandro Fritz's tally in the 25th minute, then scored the game winner in the 63rd minute by one-timing a cross from Antonio Crespi into the back of the net. The Most Outstanding Player of last year's America East Championship, Fernandes added two more scores in the Seawolves' 4-0 victory over Buffalo on Sunday as he single-handily gave his team a 2-0 lead with goals in the 18th and 33rd minutes. The preseason All-American is tied for second among league leaders with 12 points, ranks second with four assists and is third with four goals.
Simms (Kingston, Jamaica) earned his second straight Rookie of the Week award by scoring in each of Hartford's two wins last week. The freshman forward scored his fifth goal of the year in a 3-2 win over UMass on Wednesday, tying the game at 1-1 in the 57th minute. Simms, who ranks second among conference leaders with six goals on the season, then scored the lone goal in his team's 1-0 double-overtime victory at Siena on Saturday as he forced a turnover on a deflection and beat the Saints' goalkeeper with a low shot to the far corner of the net 56 seconds into the second extra session. He has scored in four straight matches.
The Seawolves and Hawks are the two hottest teams in the conference having won four of their last five and five of their last six, respectively. Two other teams are riding unbeaten streaks as well. University of Vermont, which tied Colgate, 1-1, in its lone game of the week, hasn't lost in its last three games (1-0-2), while University of New Hampshire extended its unbeaten streak to four (2-0-2) with a 1-1 tie against UMass. Binghamton University picked up its third win of the year on Sunday as Jake Keegan, the conference's leading scorer (17PTS, 7G, 3A) scored twice and had an assist in the Bearcats' 3-2 win over UNC-Wilmington. Elsewhere, Albany dropped a pair of matches in Pennsylvania while UMBC suffered just its second loss of the year, falling 2-1 to George Mason Saturday.
2012 America East Men's Soccer Weekly Award Winners
Aug. 27 - Player of the Week: Scott Kisling (Vermont); Rookie of the Week: Alejandro Fritz (Stony Brook)
Sept. 4 - Player of the Week: Pete Caringi III (UMBC); Rookie of the Week: Anthony Rozzano (Albany)
Sept. 10 - Co-Players of the Week: Travis Worra (New Hampshire), Conor Leland (Vermont); Rookie of the Week: Javoni Simms (Hartford)
Sept. 17 - Player of the Week: Leonardo Fernandes (Stony Brook); Rookie of the Week: Javoni Simms (Hartford)