2007 NESCAC NESCAC Men's Soccer Player of the Week

November 5, 2007
Brian Bush, Middlebury
(Junior, Goalkeeper - Madison, Wis.)
Bush had an impressive championship weekend for the Panthers in net, allowing one goal in 200 minutes of action and earning a shutout in Sunday's final as Middlebury claimed a 1-0 victory to secure the 2007 NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship. Bush made a total of seven saves on the weekend, including two during the penalty kick round on Saturday to help Middlebury advance past Williams in the semifinals. Bush now has eight shutouts so far this season with a conference-best 0.46 goals against average.

October 29, 2007
Casey Ftorek, Middlebury
(Junior, Forward - Wolfeboro, N.H.)
Ftorek had a hand in every goal the Panthers scored over three games last week, tallying four times while adding in an assist as Middlebury went 2-1-0 and advanced to the semifinals of the 2007 NESCAC Men's Soccer Championship. Ftorek scored the lone Middlebury goal on Tuesday in a 2-1 double-overtime loss at Keene St., followed by Saturday's lone marker in a 1-0 Panther win at Trinity. He closed out the week by scoring two goals and contributing an assist on a third in a 3-0 win over Connecticut College on Sunday. Ftorek leads the NESCAC with 11 goals through 15 games this year.

October 22, 2007
Nick Figueiredo, Bowdoin
(Senior, Forward - Wilmington, Mass.)
Figueiredo tallied two goals - both game-winners - and added in two assists en route to becoming the all-time goal-scoring leader at Bowdoin last week, as the Polar Bears went 2-0 with victories over Trinity and Babson. Figueiredo snapped a 1-1 tie in the 85th minute on Saturday at Trinity before having a hand in all three goals in a 3-0 win over Babson, scoring the game's first goal while assisting on the two other Polar Bear tallies. Figueiredo now has a program-best 33 career goals, breaking the 35-year old mark set by Gima Asmerom ‘73.

October 15, 2007
Casey Ftorek, Middlebury
(Junior, Forward - Wolfeboro, N.H.)
Ftorek tallied two goals and added in two assists during a 3-0 week for the Panthers that included victories over NESCAC foes Bowdoin and Williams. Ftorek scored the decisive goal on Tuesday against Bowdoin, assisted on the game-winning goal on Saturday against Williams, and had a goal and an assist on Sunday against Plymouth St. He leads Middlebury and is second in the NESCAC in scoring with 17 points, collecting a conference-best seven goals and three assists so far this season.

October 8, 2007
Daniel Curbelo-Zeidman, Williams
(Junior, Midfielder - Brooklyn, N.Y.)
Curbelo-Zeidman helped the Ephs to a 2-0 week in conference play with a goal and two assists. On Saturday against Bates, Curbelo-Zeidman tallied a goal and an assist during a 3-1 victory. He closed out the weekend with an assist during a 3-0 win over Colby Sunday afternoon. The performance for the week brought his season scoring total to two goals and two assists.

October 1, 2007
Baer Fisher, Middlebury
(Junior, Midfielder - Kenilworth, Ill.)
Fisher scored two goals and added in two assists for his first points of the season during a 2-0-0 week for the Panthers. Fisher netted a goal and an assist in a 5-0 win on Tuesday over Colby-Sawyer before putting on a repeat performance on Saturday during a 3-1 victory over Colby.

September 24, 2007
Todd Boertzel, Colby
(Junior, Midfielder - Mountain Lakes, N.Y.)
Boertzel netted the game-winning goal and added in two assists as Colby earned a 4-0 victory over Trinity on Saturday, the first NESCAC victory of the season for the Mules. Boertzel, who leads Colby with a goal and five assists, punched a crossing pass home for the game's first goal in the 14th minute, then assisted on the next two Colby goals to give the Mules a 3-0 cushion at halftime.

September 17, 2007
Taylor Downs, Amherst
(Senior, Forward - Hastings-on-Hudson, N.Y.)
Downs collected two goals and two assists in a 2-0-0 week for the Lord Jeffs. Against Curry on Thursday, Downs netted a goal in a 5-0 win before having a hand in all three Amherst goals on Saturday at Bates with a goal and two assists in a 3-0 victory.

September 10, 2007
Andrew Graham, Williams
(Sophomore, Goalkeeper - Northbrook, Ill.)
Graham was sensational in the Ephs' 2-1 come-from-behind victory over Wesleyan on Saturday, as he finished the game with 10 saves, eight of which came in the second half as he made several dazzling stops to prevent the Cardinals from reclaiming the lead.