Western New England Sweeps ECAC New England Weekly Awards
CENTERVILLE, Mass.--The Western New England senior duo of Jake Bartnik and Kevin Parma has been tabbed the Corvias Offensive and Defensive men's soccer players of the week in the New England Division III Region by the Eastern College Athletic Conference. That announcement was made late Wednesday, and it is believed to be the first time in school history that WNE men's soccer teammates have swept ECAC New England awards in the same week.
Bartnik, a forward from East Longmeadow High School, was credited with two game-winning goals to help lead the Golden Bears to a 2-0 week, including a win over a regionally-ranked team and posting a conference victory. In a 1-0 win on Wednesday, Sep. 25, over No. 5 Wesleyan (Conn.), he scored the lone tally to avenge a 1-0 loss last season. Then on Saturday, he scored the first goal of the contest in a 2-0 win over Nichols, handing the Bison their first loss in nine starts in 2013. The reigning Commonwealth Coast Conference Offensive Player of the Week tops WNE with seven goals (4 game-winners), 14 points and 25 shots.
The criminal justice major is the first Golden Bear to earn this ECAC regional weekly award since Evan Heymann on Nov. 8, 2006.
A team co-captain out of Peconic, N.Y. (Southold HS), Parma anchored a defensive unit that notched two shutouts for the 7-3-1 overall Golden Bears. The defender helped WNE hold both opponents to 12 shots in each match, while allowing only eight shots on goal. His defensive play and leadership helped avenge last year's 1-0 loss to perennial NCAA tournament participant Wesleyan as the Golden Bears won 1-0. Then he recorded a goal in a two-goal CCC triumph over the Bison. On Monday, he received CCC Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
Parma shared the ECAC New England defensive weekly honor with Mitchell College junior goalkeeper Ramazan Sinani, and the double major in accounting and finance becomes the first WNE recipient since Kyle Bak won on Oct. 7, 2009.
