Parkside Athletics

University of Wisconsin-Parkside goalkeeper Marcos Perez was named the GLVC Defender of the Week on Sept. 29 before earning the National Soccer Coaches Association of America's Disney Soccer Division II Men's Player of the Week Award on Tuesday, Sept. 30.

Perez claims the honor a day after landing Great Lakes Valley Conference Defender of the Week honors for his stellar performance last weekend, helping the Rangers (4-4, 2-4 GLVC) rack up a pair of road shutouts at the expense of the University of Southern Indiana and University of Illinois Springfield. On Friday against Southern Indiana, the goalkeeper made a season-high 12 saves, helping the shorthanded Rangers emerge with a 1-0 victory despite playing nearly the entire second half with just 10-men. Two days later Perez logged seven saves as Parkside downed the host Prairie Stars 2-0 for the team's third shutout of the season. The wins marked the first time UW-Parkside has posted back-to-back shutouts in GLVC play since 2009 when the Rangers rolled UIS 3-0 on Oct. 15 and Quincy University 2-0 on Oct. 18.

Perez played all 90 minutes in both games and finished the week with 19 saves. On the year, the business management major has 33 saves in 540 minutes of action with a goals against average of 1.50.

The NSCAA began awarding the Disney Soccer/NSCAA National Player of the Week to all three NCAA divisions in 2013. Perez becomes the first Ranger men's soccer player to tally the award and the third UW-Parkside student-athlete to earn the distinction. Women's soccer goalie Mallory Geurts secured the award on Oct. 8, 2013 while Emily Konior won the weekly award last Tuesday. Of the eight Division II Player of the Week awards given out this season, five have been won by GLVC student-athletes.