Oct. 8, 2012

A-10 MEN'S SOCCER WEEKLY NOTEBOOK

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – For the second time this season, VCU’s Jason Johnson has been named the Atlantic 10 Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week, while Temple’s Jared Martinelli collected his third Rookie of the Week citation, the league office announced on Monday. The duo was honored for games played Oct. 1-7.

In his A-10 debut, Johnson paced VCU to a perfect weekend (2-0) with six points off a pair of goals and assists. The Happy News, Jamaica native opened the week with a goal and an assist to help the Rams upset 13th-ranked Charlotte on Friday (Oct. 5). The win marked VCU’s first over a ranked opponent since 2006. Johnson scored in the 63rd minute to extend VCU’s lead to 3-1 against the 49ers before assisting on the Rams’ final score in the 71st minute. In the Rams’ 3-0 shutout of George Washington on Sunday (Oct. 7), Johnson provided the game-winning assist in the 27th minute before adding a goal in the 37th minute against the Colonials. The junior forward has scored in the Rams’ last three matches, including seven goals in his last seven outings.

Getting his first taste of Atlantic 10 Conference play, Martinelli collected three points, tallying a goal and an assist on the weekend. Trailing by one against St. Bonaventure on Friday (Oct. 5), Martinelli helped even the match in the 64th minute when he setup for equalizer, earning him credit for the assist on Ryan Bradbury’s goal. He followed with the game-winning goal against Duquesne on Sunday (Oct. 7), improving the Owls’ record to 5-0-0 at their own Ambler Sports Complex, 2-0 in league play. Martinelli, who had 20 shots between the two games, has 19 points on the year, including six goals.

2012 A-10 MEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIP
The newly expanded eight-team A-10 Men's Soccer Championship will be held Nov. 8-11 at Charlotte's Transamerica Field. The 49ers will host the Championship for the second time in three years and third time overall since joining the Atlantic 10 during the 2005-06 academic year.