UC Santa Barbara senior Goffin Boyoko and UC Riverside senior Hayden Leslie notched the Big West Men's Soccer Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards as they were both instrumental in helping their teams to 2-0 records.
Boyoko Collects Pair Of Game-Winning Goals
UC Santa Barbara senior Goffin Boyoko (Paris, France/Jean Perrin) eclipsed his entire 2012 goal output in one weekend, contributing the winning strike on both legs of a midwest road trip for Big West Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week honors.
The midfielder scored three of UCSB's four goals to help the Gauchos defeat No. 19 Northwestern (3-1) and Illinois-Chicago (1-0) for a 2-0 start to the season.
Boyoko scored UCSB's first goal of the season at the 14:28 mark as he finished on a header off of a free kick from freshman Drew Murphy. Boyoko struck again in the 28th minute as he threaded a shot between the Northwestern goalkeeper's legs for a 2-0 UCSB lead. The Gauchos went on to win 3-1 against a Wildcat side that had allowed three goals only two times in 2012.
On a hot, humid day in Chicago on Sunday, Boyoko provided the lone score that the Gauchos would need for the 1-0 shutout over Illinois-Chicago. The France native took a cross from freshman Armand Bagramyan and headed a shot from five yards out past the Flames netminder at the 39:03 mark. It was one of only five shots the Gauchos took on the day.
Others nominated: Mackenzie Pridham (Cal Poly); Zach Bryan (Cal State Fullerton); Sagi Lev-Ari (Cal State Northridge); Chimdum Mez (Sacramento State); Enrique Cardenas (UC Irvine); Romario Lomeli (UC Riverside)
Leslie Leads Defensive Dominance In Highlander Sweep
Senior Hayden Leslie (Apple Valley, Calif./Apple Valley Christian HS) spearheaded a stingy UC Riverside defense to secure the Big West Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year award.
The defender played all 180 minutes as the Highlanders pitched a pair of shutouts at home over Iona (1-0) and Marist (2-0). The Highlanders, which faced just two shots on goal the entire weekend, got a lift from Leslie, who marked the opposition's top threat for most of the time.
This is the second straight year that UCR has started out the season 2-0.
Others nominated: Fermin Villalba (Cal State Fullerton); Trevor Morley (Cal State Northridge); Cesar Castillo (Sacramento State); Marco Franco (UC Irvine)