UCSB’s Nick DePuy
The Big West today announced that junior forward Nick DePuy of the UC Santa Barbara men’s soccer team has been named the conference Offensive Player of the Week after notching three goals in as many games for the Gauchos.
The Irvine, Calif. native recorded a brace in a 4-2 win over UCLA last Monday, helping No. 25 UCSB (5-3-1) to its first ever road win against the Bruins. He then capped off his week with a beautiful volley of a Josue España cross as part of a 4-0 thrashing of USD on Sunday evening.
After falling behind 1-0 early to UCLA, DePuy headed home a Geoffrey Acheampong cross in the 38th minute to level the score. He then headed in an España corner kick in the 57th minute for what turned out to be the game-winner.
DePuy’s tally against the Toreros, the third of the day for UCSB, cemented the result for the Gauchos. He found himself unmarked in the box after a tenacious España tracked down a failed USD clearance attempt, knocking home the cross with a partial scissor kick.
It has been quite the calendar year for DePuy, who was moved to forward full time on Sept. 26, 2014. Since then, he has netted 16 times in 22 appearances, has nine-game winning goals (second-most of any player in the nation in that timeframe), has been named the 2014 Big West Offensive Player of the Year award, and has now received three Conference Player of the Week honors.
The 6-3 striker, equally adept in the air and with the ball at his feet, leads the Big West Conference overall with seven goals (sixth in the nation), three game-winning goals (second NCAA-wide), and 15 points (11th).
The Gauchos are an impressive 11-0-3 all-time when DePuy finds the back of the net.
UCSB opens up conference play this week, as they travel to UC Irvine on Thursday night and Cal State Northridge on Saturday evening.
