Football

BEREA, OHIO --  Baldwin Wallace University men's and women's soccer goalies Nate Christian (North Ridgeville) and Michelle Neff (Strongsville) are this week's Ohio Athletic Conference Soccer Players of the Week.  For Christian, it marks the second time this year and fourth time in his collegiate career that he has  earned the accolade.  This is Neff's first time.

Christian led BW to a pair of shutout wins last week against Hiram College (1-0) and Muskingum College (3-0) and tied his own single-season school-record for playing in shutouts with eight.  Christian played in all 90 minutes against Hiram and was credited with two saves, and he played in 86:57 of the win versus Muskingum and did not record a save.  Christian also earned OAC Player of the Week honors two weeks ago when he led BW to the title of the OAC versus Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Shootout with wins versus Kalamazoo College of Michigan (2-0) and Albion College of Michigan (1-0).  He also earned the hinor once as a sophomore in 2003 and again as a junior in 2004.

In addition to playing in eight shutouts this year, Christian played in eight as a sophomore in 2003 and eight as a junior in 2004 and owns the school career-record by playing in 24 shutouts in three years as a starter. Christian is allowing just 0.37 goals per game (four in 964:37) this season. Ken Knobel originally set the single-season mark of eight in 1989.

Neff played in a pair of shutout wins last week as BW beat Hiram (4-0) and Muskingum (2-0). She did not allow a goal in 170 minutes and has allowed just one goal in her last 517 minutes overall.  Against Hiram, Neff played in 80 minutes and was credited with six saves. She played the entire 90 minutes versus Muskingum and had three saves.

In addition, Neff now has played in seven shutouts this year and 12 in her two-year career. She is allowing just 0.85 goals-per-game this season (nine in 951:41) with 76 saves.  As a high school senior, Neff set an OHSAA state record with 20 shutouts as a senior.

The Yellow Jacket men, 9-3 overall and 1-0 in the OAC, are back in action tomorrow (Oct. 4) when they travel to Tiffin and play OAC-rival Heidelberg College at 4:00 p.m.  The BW women, 9-2 overall, are back in action on Wednesday (Oct. 5) when they host Heidelberg at The George Finnie Stadium at 7:00 p.m.

FOR MORE BW SPORTS INFORMATION, please contact BW Sports Information Director Kevin Ruple by telephone at 440-826-2327, by FAX at 440-826-2329 or via e-mail atkruple@bw.edu. To contact Yellow Jacket Head Coach Reid Ayers, please call him at 440-826-3839, FAX him at 440-826-2192 or e-mail him atrayers@bw.edu.