By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Adams State University forward Avery Richards, Fort Lewis College defender Mathias Valverde, and Colorado State University Pueblo goalkeeper Esteban Gonzalez are the Week 3 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference Men’s Soccer Players of the Week, presented Tuesday.

Richards scored the first hat trick of his career as part of a four-goal week for the Grizzlies as they went 1-0-1 during the week. Valverde scored his first collegiate goal and paced a Skyhawks defense that allowed only two goals in a 2-0 week. Gonzalez continued his season-opening shutout streak with a shutout of Western Oregon and 45 scoreless minutes at Saint Martins. .

Offensive

Avery Richards, Adams State (Senior, Forward, San Antonio, Texas)
Richards put together a four-goal, nine-point week as Adams State went 1-0-1 last week with a 5-4 win against Wayland Baptist and a 3-3 tie against Oklahoma Panhandle. Richards posted a hat trick in the Grizzlies' win against WBU, including the game-winning goal on a penalty kick in the 86th minute after notching unassisted goals in the 15th and 65th minutes. He followed that with a goal and an assist against Oklahoma Panhandle, with his goal providing a 2-1 lead in the 16th minute and the assist coming on a goal that put ASU up 3-2 in the 44th minute.

Others Nominated: Nick Cenek, CSU Pueblo; Manuel Ponce Casas, Colorado Mesa; Kian Mueller, Colorado School of Mines; Alessio Andreottola, Fort Lewis; Adan Perez, MSU Denver; Jan Grillitsch, Regis; Chase Stohlmann, South Dakota Mines; Alejandro Puente, Westminster.

Defensive

Mathias Valverde, Fort Lewis (Freshman, Defender, La Unión, Costa Rica)
Valverde led a Fort Lewis defense that allowed just two goals in a 2-0-0 week with wins against Simon Fraser and Northwest Nazarene. He played a full 90 against Simon Fraser, leading a unit that allowed only eight total shots and only four on goal in a 2-1 victory. Valverde notched his first career goal in an 8-1 win against Northwest Nazarene as the Skyhawks allowed just four shots on goal on 12 total shots to a Nighthawks team that averaged 3.25 goals per game entering the match.

Others Nominated: Pedro Martinez Castro, CSU Pueblo; Connor Chilson, Colorado Mesa; Charlie Newberry, Colorado School of Mines; Ben Wittenbernds, Regis; Ceallach Heslin, South Dakota Mines; Rory Scott, UCCS.

Goalkeeper

Esteban Gonzalez, CSU Pueblo (Junior, Goalkeeper, Brussels, Belgium)
Gonzalez’s season-opening shutout streak is now at 405 minutes after leading CSU Pueblo to a 1-0-1 week with a scoreless tie at Western Oregon before playing the first half of a 5-0 victory at Saint Martin’s. He was credited with four saves against Western Oregon but made a game-saving save on a penalty attempt in the 29th minute and then promptly saved the ensuing shot off the rebound. Gonzalez saw just 45 minutes in net at Saint Martin’s as the ThunderWolves built a 3-0 lead in the opening half and never looked back.

Others Nominated: Nathan Beck, Colorado Mesa; Kiernan DiBella, Colorado School of Mines; Lucas Martin, Fort Lewis; Zach Jennings, Regis; Charles Thompson, South Dakota Mines; Hugo Sjöberg, UCCS; Tommy Manwaring, Westminster.

About the RMAC

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.

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