Velazco Chosen as Conference Offensive Player of the Week
November 04, 2013 | Men's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2013
PROVIDENCE, R.I. - Sophomore forward Ricardo Velazco of the 11th-ranked Louisville men's soccer team was chosen on Monday as the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week marking the third time this season he has earned the honor.
Velazco, who also earned offensive player of the week honors on Oct. 7 and Sept. 2, scored one goal and added two assists in the Cardinals' dramatic 3-2 overtime win against No. 20 Saint Louis last Thursday night at rain-soaked Cardinal Park. A native of Casa Grande, Ariz., Velazco scored his goal by connecting on this third penalty kick in as many tries this season as Louisville secured its second win this season over a Top 20 foe.
Through 17 regular season matches, Velazco is the Cardinals' leader in goals (seven), assists (nine), points (23) and shots (61). The nine assists rank tied for third on Louisville's single season leaderboard matching the totals of Jack Palmquist (1982) and Aaron Clapham. Stuart Langrish holds the single season record for assists with 11 set in in 2000.
This is the sixth time in 10 weeks of regular season soccer in 2013 Louisville has earned at least one of the weekly American Athletic Conference honors. Most recently, Zack Foxhoven was named Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 21, while on Oct. 7, Velazco was chosen as Offensive Player of the Week and Jimmy Ockford was named Defensive Player of the Week. A week earlier (Sept. 30), Joachim Ball was selected as Goalkeeper of the Week, Andrew Brody was named Rookie of the Week and Michael DeGraffenreidt was chosen as Defensive Player of the Week. On Sept. 23, Ockford was named Defender of the Week while on Sept. 2, Velazco was selected as Offensive Player of the Week.
Up next, the conference regular season champion Cardinals (11-3-3/5-1-2) will host the only first round game of the 2013 American Athletic Conference Championship on Friday at 2 p.m., ET at Cardinal Park when No. 8 seed Rutgers takes on No. 9 seed Cincinnati. A day later, top-seeded Louisville will play the winner of the first rounder in a quarterfinal game on Saturday at 7 p.m.
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