Vail and Worley capture Patriot League weekly awards
9/29/2014 3:12:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Patriot League Release
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Fresh off an exciting 2-1 league-opening win over No. 14 American on Saturday evening, Lehigh men's soccer junior Brian Vail and sophomore Justin Worley have been named the Patriot League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, as announced by the league on Monday.
A key member of Lehigh's defense, Vail stepped up offensively on Saturday and scored both of the Mountain Hawk goals in Lehigh's 2-1 win against 14th-ranked American. Vail scored his first career goal in the 43rd minute when he headed in a corner kick to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. After the Eagles found an equalizer five minutes into the second half, Vail stepped up once again in the 88th minute, scoring off a free kick from junior Jamie Luchini, to push the Mountain Hawks to a league-opening victory. The win marked Lehigh's first victory over the Eagles in the last five meetings. This is the first Offensive Player of the Week award of Vail's career and the first for any Mountain Hawk since Nov. 5, 2012 when Ben Wysocki garnered the recognition.
Worley was a key piece in the Lehigh defense that stepped up to limit the Eagles' offense, which entered Saturday's contest as one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. The sophomore made several key defensive plays including clearing loose balls out of Lehigh's box. He also played a key roll in neutralizing Joe Iraola, American's leading scorer and the Patriot League's second leading scorer, as the Mountain Hawks picked up the 2-1 win. This is the first Defensive Player of the Week award of Worley's career and the first for any Mountain Hawk since Oct. 22, 2012 when Ali Famili was awarded the plaudits.
Senior keeper Ciaran Nugent also garnered honorable mention recognition for his six-save performance in Lehigh's win over American. Nugent made several key saves to keep Lehigh in the game, including a stop in the 82nd minute when he found himself in a one-on-one situation with American's Jake Garcia.
Vail, Worley and the Mountain Hawks return to action Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bucknell. The game will be broadcast free of the charge on the Patriot League Network.
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BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Fresh off an exciting 2-1 league-opening win over No. 14 American on Saturday evening, Lehigh men's soccer junior Brian Vail and sophomore Justin Worley have been named the Patriot League Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, as announced by the league on Monday.
A key member of Lehigh's defense, Vail stepped up offensively on Saturday and scored both of the Mountain Hawk goals in Lehigh's 2-1 win against 14th-ranked American. Vail scored his first career goal in the 43rd minute when he headed in a corner kick to give Lehigh a 1-0 lead heading into halftime. After the Eagles found an equalizer five minutes into the second half, Vail stepped up once again in the 88th minute, scoring off a free kick from junior Jamie Luchini, to push the Mountain Hawks to a league-opening victory. The win marked Lehigh's first victory over the Eagles in the last five meetings. This is the first Offensive Player of the Week award of Vail's career and the first for any Mountain Hawk since Nov. 5, 2012 when Ben Wysocki garnered the recognition.
Worley was a key piece in the Lehigh defense that stepped up to limit the Eagles' offense, which entered Saturday's contest as one of the highest-scoring offenses in the league. The sophomore made several key defensive plays including clearing loose balls out of Lehigh's box. He also played a key roll in neutralizing Joe Iraola, American's leading scorer and the Patriot League's second leading scorer, as the Mountain Hawks picked up the 2-1 win. This is the first Defensive Player of the Week award of Worley's career and the first for any Mountain Hawk since Oct. 22, 2012 when Ali Famili was awarded the plaudits.
Senior keeper Ciaran Nugent also garnered honorable mention recognition for his six-save performance in Lehigh's win over American. Nugent made several key saves to keep Lehigh in the game, including a stop in the 82nd minute when he found himself in a one-on-one situation with American's Jake Garcia.
Vail, Worley and the Mountain Hawks return to action Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bucknell. The game will be broadcast free of the charge on the Patriot League Network.
Like Lehigh men's soccer on Facebook and follow on Twitter for exclusive content and team updates.
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