UM sweeps GSC weekly soccer honors

Published 11:44 am Wednesday, October 1, 2008

A win and a tie at Christian Brothers University helped the University of Montevallo men’s and women’s soccer teams sweep the Gulf South Conference Players of the Week honors Tuesday.

Senior forward Jonathan Maloney and senior defender Jim Witherow were named GSC Player of the Week and Defender of the Week, respectively for the men, while senior forward Kami Kapaku and senior defender Adele Jackson swept the honor for the women.

Maloney earns his second-straight GSC Player of the Week laurel after breaking the GSC record for most overall weekly awards last week. He has received the honor now nine times in his career. The West Yorkshire, England native extended his point-streak to nine matches by assisting on the game winner Sept. 24 in a 2-0 shutout of Peach Belt foe Georgia Southwestern and scored the game-clinching goal in the Falcons’ league opening victory at Christian Brothers Saturday, 2-1.

Witherow collects his first career GSC Defender of the Week award. The Huntsville native spearheaded a Falcons’ shutout of Georgia Southwestern, holding the Hurricanes to just two total shots. He helped lead the UM defense to hold CBU to just one shot on goal Saturday.

Maloney currently ranks first in the conference in shots (30) and game-winning goals (3). He also ranks second in shots per game (3.33), points (20) and assists (4).

Kapaku collected her second career Player of the Week honor after breaking the Montevallo school record for goals and points in a match with six goals and 13 points during UM’s 11-0 blanking of Georgia Southwestern. The Wailuku, Hawaii native then assisted on Montevallo’s opening goal in its first league contest at CBU in a 3-3 tie.

Jackson earned her second career GSC Defender of the Week award and first since her freshman year in 2005. The senior from Lincolnshire, England controlled the back line during all 200 minutes of Montevallo’s play this past week, holding the Georgia Southwestern Hurricanes to just one total shot in the shutout. Jackson played all 110 minutes against CBU.

Kapaku currently ranks fourth in the conference in points (24) but second in points per game (3.00). She also ranks third in goals (11) and second in goals per game (1.38)

Both the men’s and women’s teams travel to Harding University Friday.