Players of the Week - No. 7

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The seventh installment of the 2011 NAIA National Men’s Soccer Players of the Week were announced on Tuesday by the national office: Alex Palomarez of Menlo (Calif.) was named NAIA Defensive Player of the Week and Hastings’ (Neb.) Nate Polak was named NAIA Offensive Player of the Week. They were selected based on their performances from Oct. 10 – 16 and were chosen out of a pool of conference/independent/unaffiliated groupings.

Palomarez, a 5-foot-9, junior goalkeeper played a vital role during a 2-0 week for Menlo. The Fremont, Calif., native stopped four shots in the 2-0 win against Cal Maritime on Oct. 11. His biggest effort came in his second shutout, a 1-0 victory over Holy Names (Calif.) on Oct. 15. Palomarez totaled 11 saves in 90 minutes to help lead the Oaks to a first-place spot in the California Pacific Conference standings.  Menlo halted a lengthy successive Holy Names streak as the Hawks had been 59-2-1 in the conference entering the match. In the NAIA rankings, Palomarez is listed 37th in goals allowed average (1.01).

Polak, a 6-foot, senior forward helped Hastings continue its NAIA-record 39-game winning streak with three goals and five assists last week. In the 4-0 victory against Doane (Neb.) on Oct. 12, he recorded a goal and an assist. Three days later, the native of Lincoln, Neb., notched seven points (2 goals, 3 assists) in the 6-2 decision over Briar Cliff (Iowa). Polak ranks sixth in the NAIA in assists (10) and 16th in points (32).

Offensive Nominees: Nathan Chestnut, Cincinnati Christian (Ohio); Rafael Bustos, St. Thomas (Texas); Matt Annecchiarico, Point Park (Pa.); Rolando Cruz, Robert Morris (Ill.); Joel Pelton, Northwest (Wash.); Eduardo Da Silva, Missouri Valley; Alex Chavez, Kansas Wesleyan; Kenniel Hyde, Freed-Hardeman (Tenn.); Javier Aguado, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.); Dominic O'Connor, Jamestown (N.D.); Luis Heitor-Piffer, Grand View (Iowa); Adam Black, Oklahoma City; Deshorn Brown, Mobile (Ala.); Isaac Grotenhuis, Cornerstone (Mich.); Chris Ochieng, Milligan (Tenn.); Ally MacDonald, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Ryan Needs, Bethel (Ind.); Chris Galindo, Southwestern Christian (Okla.); Oliver Gore, Rocky Mountain (Mont.); Richard Isberner, Rio Grande (Ohio); Matthew Howard, Hope International (Calif.); Alex Vukic, Menlo (Calif.).

Defensive Nominees: Thayer Wallace, Cincinnati Christian (Ohio); Miguel Valadez, Bethany (Kan.); Marcos Sanchez, Huston-Tillotson (Texas); Greg Hartley, Belhaven (Miss.); Cole Dahle, Concordia (Ore.); David Flores, Missouri Valley; Daniel James, Ashford (Iowa); Mica Scaramelli, Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.); Stephen Lunney, Martin Methodist (Tenn.); Kevin Fischer, Shawnee State (Ohio); Mark Bloxam, Oklahoma Wesleyan; Kyle Breckan, Cornerstone (Mich.); Nils Carlson, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Mitchell Kelman, Point Park (Pa.); John Gardner, Science & Arts (Okla.); Juan Guzman, Great Falls (Mont.); Luis Hernandez, Northwestern (Iowa); Zack Schultze, Reinhardt (Ga.); Matt Poland, Taylor (Ind.); Neil Thompson, Judson (Ill.); Lucas Young, Azusa Pacific (Calif.).

2011 Men’s Soccer Players of the Week (Offensive; Defensive)
Week 1: Billy Forbes, Lubbock Christian (Texas); Zack Schultze, Reinhardt (Ga.)
Week 2: Trent Remmich, MidAmerica Nazarene (Kan.); Sam Winstanley, Illinois Tech
Week 3: Lebogang Moloto, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Cody Poteat, Hastings (Neb.)
Week 4: Veit Couturier, Embry-Riddle (Fla.); Will Akers, Cal Maritime
Week 5: Eddy Campbell, Lindsey Wilson (Ky.); Collin Cone, Grace (Ind.)
Week 6: Paul Islas, Fresno Pacific (Calif.); Steven Waite, Fresno Pacific (Calif.)
Week 7: Nate Polak, Hastings (Neb.); Alex Palomarez, Menlo (Calif.)