SAN BRUNO, Calif. – Portland junior forward Benji Michel has been named the West Coast Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Week, the conference office announced Monday.
 
Michel scored a pair of goals, both game-winners, and added an assist as the Pilots won 2-1 at No. 24 Coastal Carolina on Monday night and dominated the Northern Illinois Huskies 3-0 on Friday at Merlo Field. Michel, who now has nine goals and six game-winners on the season, provided the go-ahead goal against the Chanticleers in the 73rd minute as the Pilots defeated their second ranked opponent this season. He earlier assisted on a goal by R.J. Stretch, which at the time gave the Pilots a 1-0 edge.
 
Northern Illinois entered Friday’s game No. 13 in the NCAA’s RPI rankings and were riding a five-game winning streak, but Michel opened the scoring in the 11th minute. On a corner sent towards the far post, Michel elevated and planted it into the back of the net with a powerful header, and the Pilots would cruise from there en route to the shutout.
 
Michel entered the weekend No. 2 nationally in game-winners and No. 5 in overall goals, and at 8-0-2 the Pilots are off to their best start to a season since 1989. Portland’s 10-match unbeaten string is also the longest such streak since the Pilots went 14 games without a loss during the 1995 season.
 
Also Nominated: Jake Rudel, Saint Mary’s; Alan Camacho Soto, Santa Clara
 
2018 West Coast Conference Player of the Week
Week 1 (8/27) – Anders Engebretsen, Jr., F, Saint Mary’s
Week 2 (9/3) – Sean Bowman, Sr., M, San Francisco
Week 3 (9/10) – Jake Rudel, Jr., F, Saint Mary’s
Week 4 (9/17) – Kienen Weekes, Sr., GK, Portland
Week 5 (9/24) – Jonathan Jimenez, Jr., F, Pacific / Remi Prieur, R-Jr., GK, Saint Mary’s
Week 6 (10/1) – Benji Michel, Jr., F, Portland