MARLBOROUGH, Mass. – Wheaton College (Mass.) men's soccer player Paco Polo (Madrid, Spain) was named the New England Women's & Men's Athletic Conference Men's Soccer Offensive Athlete of the Week for the week of October 26 to November 1, it was announced today by the league.
Polo becomes the fifth Lyon and third Wheaton offensive player to earn a weekly honor this season from the NEWMAC. Senior midfielder Ben Kane (Pembroke, Mass.) was named the Offensive Athlete of the Week for October 5-11 and junior forward Charlie Cushing (Eastham, Mass.) was named the Offensive Athlete of the Week for September 7-13, while sophomore goalie Patrick Butler (Glastonbury, Conn.) was tabbed the Defensive Athlete of the Week for the same week as Cushing and senior back Owen Kane (Pembroke, Mass.) was chosen as the best defender last week by the NEWMAC.
The sophomore factored into three of the Lyons' four goals in two matches. Polo netted Wheaton's only marker in a 1-1 draw with visiting Babson College on October 28. The forward capped the week by scoring a goal and assisting on the game-winner in a 3-1 victory at host Springfield College on October 31.
A graduate of Kings College Soto de Viñuelas, Polo has emerged as one of the best offensive players in the conference during the second half of the season. In the last eight contests, he has notched at least one point in six of them with seven goals and an assist. Polo currently ranks third in the league with seven goals and fifth with 15 points and leads the circuit in conference games production with five goals and 11 points. He has started 10 of 16 contests this season.
Polo has seen action in 24 career matches, while making 10 starts. The International Business major has seven goals and an assist for 15 points and a very respectable .280 shooting percentage during his tenure in Norton.
The Lyons are currently 9-2-6 overall and 4-1-3 in NEWMAC play. Wheaton is ranked third in Region II in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll and secured the number two seed in the upcoming NEWMAC Championship Tournament. The Lyons received a first round bye and will host a Conference Semifinals contest on Friday, November 6 on Keefe Field at 2:00 p.m. against the winner of third-seeded Massachusetts Institute of Technology and number six seed Worcester Polytechnic Institute.
