KANSAS CITY, Mo.- Five goals, two victories and a hat trick highlighted a memorable week for Hope International (Calif.) midfielder Matthias Alcaraz, who was named the PrestoSports NAIA Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week.
Alcaraz accounted for all five of the Royals’ goals as HIU defeated Westcliff (Calif.), 2-1, and College of Idaho, 3-1.
His week began with a pair of goals against Westcliff, including a bicycle-kick finish for his first goal of the contest. The junior later found the inside of the right post in the 70th minute to give the Royals the game-winning goal.
The Murrieta, Calif. native saved his biggest performance for the Royals’ matchup with College of Idaho, scoring all three of Hope International’s goals in the second half to record a hat trick. He became just the 12th player in program history to accomplish the feat.
Alcaraz now leads the GSAC with six goals on the season after his five-goal week lifted his team to a pair of victories and a 3-0 mark on the year.
The Royals return to the pitch on Tuesday, Sept. 8 against La Sierra (Calif.), before facing Soka (Calif.) on Thursday.
About the NAIA
The National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), headquartered in Kansas City, Mo., is a governing body of small college athletics programs dedicated to character-driven, education-based athletics. Since 1937, the NAIA has balanced high-level competition with holistic student-athlete development through its commitment to The Right Way to Play®. Each year more than 87,000 NAIA student-athletes compete in college athletics, earn over $1.3 billion in financial aid, and pursue opportunities to participate in 30 national championships. naia.org | @NAIA | #TheRightWayToPlay
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