KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Aug. 31, 2022) – United Soccer Coaches announced its College Player of the Week awards on Wednesday afternoon, with four student-athletes representing NCAA Division I and II men’s and women’s soccer.
NCAA Division I Men: Duncan McGuire (Creighton)
NCAA Division I Women: Messiah Bright (TCU)
NCAA Division II Men: Ricardo Ceballos (Saint Leo University)
NCAA Division II Women: Nicole Varano (Bloomsburg)
In the season opener, McGuire set the facility record at Morrison Stadium with seven points on three goals and one assist in Creighton’s 6-0 win over Oakland. Three days later McGuire tallied a pair of goals in the Bluejays’ 6-1 win over Rutgers. Creighton junior Duncan McGuire delivered a career night in the Bluejays’ 6-0 season-opening win over Oakland on Aug. 25. McGuire became the first Bluejay since Riggs Lennon (Sept. 24, 2016) to deliver a hat trick. The goals alone tied a Morrison Stadium record for points, but McGuire’s evening began with an assist. The combined seven points set a new facility mark.
Messiah Bright started off the season with a bang, The graduate senior recorded her second career hat trick and became the only player in TCU history to have two hat tricks in her career. Over the two games, she scored 4 goals and now has total goals of 43 and total points of 101.
Ricky Ceballos posted back-to-back shutouts on the road against #8 Auburn-Montgomery and #24 University of West Florida. The Graduate Goalkeeper recorded four saves over the weekend in his debut wearing the Green and Gold. Ceballos was also named Sunshine State Conference’s Defensive Player of the Week
Nicole Varano led the Huskies to a 2-0 week by scoring a goal in each contest, both of which proved to be game-winning scores. In the team’s season opener against Mercyhurst, Varano scored the only goal of the contest to give the Huskies a 1-0 victory over the Lakers on Wednesday. Then on Sunday against Golden-Beacom, Varano knocked in a header that was sent into the box on a free kick to give the Huskies a 2-0 lead in the second half, and that score proved to be the determining factor as the Lightning scored later in the contest to make the final score 2-1.
Each Wednesday during the college regular season, United Soccer Coaches selects a men’s and women’s Player of the Week for NCAA Divisions I, II, and III and Junior College competition based on nominations from schools and conferences. Nominations are due every Tuesday by 10 a.m. CT to be considered.
