UCSB’s Nick DePuy
For the second time this season and the second time in his career, UCSB sophomore forward Nick DePuy has garnered both College Soccer News National Player of the Week and Big West Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring all three of UCSB’s goals in a pair of pivotal conference wins over Cal Poly and UC Davis, it was announced on Monday.
He was also recognized locally by the Santa Barbara Athletic Round Table at its weekly press luncheon.
DePuy scored a 99th minute golden goal against UC Davis on Wednesday night to give the Gauchos a 1-0 win and a tie atop the Big West North Division standings. The score came off a first-touch shot of an Ismaila Jome cross to the top shelf past Aggies keeper Armando Quezada. His nine shots were by far the most by a Gaucho this season and tied for the most in a single game conference-wide.
The Irvine, Calif. native did his best to silence a sold-out crowd of 11,075 at Cal Poly on Sunday evening, recording his first career brace in the opening 22 minutes, with the Gauchos holding on for a 2-0 victory. A dual threat on the ground and in the air, DePuy’s sixth-minute opener was a right-footed 15-yard blast from inside the box, while his second was a headed effort off a cross from the left. Freshman forward Ludwig Ahl contributed assists on both of DePuy’s goals against the Mustangs.
The two-goal performance by DePuy helped the Gauchos clinch at least a share of the North Division title and a No. 1 seed in the Big West Tournament, guaranteeing the squad a bye in the Big West quarterfinals and home field advantage throughout the tourney.
With three goals on the week, the 6-4 point man has now recorded seven goals in 11 games since moving from the midfield to forward. His team-leading eight goals are second-most in the Big West Conference. In the seven seperate games he has found the back of the net, he has a team-best five game-winning goals.
DePuy was also named the national and conference player of the week on Oct. 6 after recording game-winners against Cal State Northridge and then-No. 3 UC Irvine, the latter being of the highlight reel variety as he unleashed a 35-yard left-footed drive into the top corner with less than a minute remaining in regulation.
Nick and the rest of the Gauchos close out the regular season on Wednesday afternoon as they travel to Sacramento State to take on the Hornets at 2:00 p.m. They then await the winner of this weekend’s Big West Tournament Quarterfinals, as the Gauchos will host a Big West Semifinal on the night of Wednesday, Nov. 12.
