DENVER – San Josè State's Rudi Castro has been named the TicketSmarter Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week for Mar. 29-Apr. 4.
Castro, a senior forward from San Josè (Lincoln HS), helped lead the Spartans to a perfect 2-0 record last week. The club notched back-to-back overtime wins, first taking down Utah Valley in Orem before returning home to defeat Incarnate Word.
"Rudi is the modern day number 9," says head coach Simon Tobin. "He has been crucial in our success with great movement, hold-up play and intelligent final passes."
Castro tallied four assists on the week, assisting on all three goals in the win against the Wolverines before making the game-winning pass in overtime against the Cardinals. On the season, he boasts 10 assists and leads the nation in assists per match.
This marks the second weekly honor of Castro's career (and the second in as many months) and the third for the Spartans this season (and second in as many weeks). In addition, this marks the program's most weekly awards from a conference office in the same year since 2008 (Efrain Burgos, Richard Mann, Nick Cukar and Lewis Sweeney).
Castro is the first Spartan to garner multiple weekly honors in the same season since Jorge Martinez accomplished the feat in the program's historic 2000 campaign.
SJSU will look to continue its successful run of play when it hosts UNLV in its penultimate home match of the season on Monday night. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. at Spartan Soccer Complex.
Other offensive nominees: Air Force's Michael Neacsu scored for the Falcons in their 3-1 win at UIW on Wednesday … California Baptist's Rueben Dass scored the only goal the Lancers needed in a 1-0 win over Seattle U … Houston Baptist's Bryant Farkarlun assisted on the Huskies' first two goals and scored the third in a 4-3 overtime loss to UT Rio Grande Valley … UT Rio Grande Valley's Juan Rivera helped the Vaqueros come back from down 3-0 at Houston Baptist, scoring a goal and assisting on another in a 4-3 overtime win.