Men's Team of the Week: Nov. 26

by TopDrawerSoccer

November 26, 2019

And then there were 16.

The quickfire first and second rounds of the men’s Division I tournament wrapped on Sunday, and only three unseeded teams survived.

Previous Teams of the Week: Sept. 3 | Sept. 10 | Sept. 17 | Sept. 24 | Oct. 1 | Oct. 8 | Oct. 15 | Oct. 22 | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19

One of those was from Big East side Providence, thanks in large part to the latest men’s Player of the Week.

Trevor Davock, a graduate transfer from Boston College, helped the Friars win on Thursday against NJIT and then come-from-behind against Penn State. Davock and a hand in all five goals in the two games. He scored and had an assist in the 2-0 win over NJIT, and then scored twice, including the game-winning goal

Player of the Week: Trevor Davock, Providence

After trailing by two in the second half @PCFriarsMSoccer score three straight including a golden goal to advance to the third round of the NCAA Tournamentpic.twitter.com/nsgb7rgWzH
— Providence Friars (@PCAthletics) November 25, 2019

Check out some of the other top performances from the first and second rounds of the NCAA tournament.

Men’s Team of the Week: November 18-24

GK Andrew Thomas, Stanford – Don’t be surprised to see the Cardinal push through a tough field and make it to the College Cup. If they do, Andrew Thomas may have to replicate what he did on Sunday night. Tied 1-1 against Seattle after 110 minutes, Thomas stopped four penalty kicks, which were crucial as the Cardinal converted just two of their own to advance.

D Henry Kessler, Virginia – Even as the No. 1 seed, the Cavaliers were still mightily impressive in Sunday’s 2-0 win against Campbell. They limited the Camels to just two shots, one on goal, as Kessler led yet another stout defensive effort.

D Noah Billingsley, UC Santa Barbara – The Gauchos are still dancing into the Sweet 16, topping two California opponents over the weekend. First, a 3-1 victory against California on Thursday night propelled UCSB to a clash against St. Mary’s. Billingsley grabbed the winner there, on the way to an impressive 4-0 victory.

D Dylan Nealis, Georgetown – Few programs have the chance to prove themselves this tournament quite like the Hoyas. Game one saw the talented team dominate Pitt to the tune of a 5-0 score. Nealis scored twice, including the opener goal. Georgetown now has the chance to avenge its only loss of the season when Louisville heads to the Hilltop on Sunday.

M Blake Bodily, Washington – The junior’s scintillating season continued into the second round of the tournament, as he helped the Huskies to a 2-0 win against Boston College. Bodily scored the first, and eventual winning goal, and setup the insurance as the Pac-12 side eyes a deep run.

M Marc Ybarra, Michigan – Sunday’s 0-0 draw against Wright State was perhaps a touch surprising considering the scoring record for both teams. But Ybarra helped to stymie the Horizon League champs, and then converted the decisive penalty kick as the Wolverines advanced 5-4 after 110 minutes of scoreless soccer.

M Joey DeZart, Wake Forest – The double pivot of DeZart and Isaiah Parente are going to be crucial for Wake Forest’s chances of a College Cup spot. DeZart logged 90 minutes and had a hand in the game’s opening goal (he fired in a shot that was deflected into the path of Lapa who slotted home) as Wake Forest secured a 3-0 win against defending champions Maryland.

F Izaiah Jennings, Louisville – While only playing in limited minutes from the bench, Jennings scored goals in both of Louisville’s wins. He tallied an insurance goal against South Florida, and then nabbed the winner 1-0 on the road versus UC Davis.

F Kristofer Strickler, Virginia Tech – The junior picked the perfect time to snap out of a low-scoring funk. He bagged a brace in Sunday’s 4-1 win against New Hampshire, as the Hokies head to Palo Alto for a big matchup against Stanford. That two-goal effort came after scoring just one in the past eight matches previous to the second-round game.

F Victor Bezerra, Indiana – There’s no doubt that Indiana will only go as far as their star freshmen can carry them in the tournament. Bezerra did his part in Sunday’s 3-0 win against Kentucky, bagging an impressive hat trick. The Fire Academy product, if he continues to score goals like this, can play a decisive role in the race for the national title.

F Trevor Davock, Providence – Davock has caught fire at the perfect time of the season for the Friars. With his two goals and three assists last week, he now has three goals and six assists in the last six games.

Honorable Mention: F Grayson Barber (Clemson), F Cal Jennings (UCF), F Garrett McLaughlin (SMU), F Milo Yosef (Marshall), M Bruno Lapa (Wake Forest), F Rodney Michael (UC Santa Barbara), M Skage Simonsen (St. John's)