After opening up the season in a three-match unbeaten streak of 2-0-1, junior forward Makesi Lewis was named Offensive Player of the Week and sophomore goalkeeper Mitch Hildebrandt earned Defensive Player of the Week accolades in The Summit League’s initial men’s soccer awards of the season.
Lewis earned his second career Player of the Week award after totaling three points on a goal and an assist during the week. In Oakland’s 1-0 season-opening victory at UAB on Sept. 1, Lewis assisted on the game-winning goal. Lewis set the tone for the Golden Grizzlies’ 2-1 win at SIU Edwardsville on Sept. 4 by scoring the first goal of the match.
A first time Player of the Week honoree, Hildebrandt collected a pair of wins and two shutouts, including the blanking of a nationally-ranked opponent, while making 14 saves with a .933 save percentage during the week. In the season-opener at UAB, Hildebrandt made four saves to preserve a 1-0 victory. After helping the Golden Grizzlies to a 2-1 win at SIU Edwardsville, Hildebrandt made seven saves in a shutout against No. 18 Dayton on Sept. 6, a match that ended in a 0-0 draw.
The Golden Grizzlies will next travel to DeKalb, Ill. to compete in the NIU adidas/Magnuson Inn and Suites Invitational on Friday and Sunday, Sept. 11 and 13 on the campus of Northern Illinois University against Northwestern and Northern Illinois, respectively. Both matches are scheduled for 3:30 p.m. starts.