Michael Brooks Named National Player of the Week

Oct. 6, 2008

CLEMSON, SC – Clemson senior forward Michael Brooks has been named National Player of the Week as announced by College Soccer News Monday afternoon.

Michael Brooks scored four goals and had one assist in leading Clemson in a 5-3 upset win over fourth-ranked Maryland in an Atlantic Coast Conference men’s soccer match at Clemson, SC Friday night. The Tigers’ Greg Eckhardt also had two assists in the victory.

With the win, Clemson improves to 3-4-2 overall and 2-1-1 in the ACC. This was tied for the third most goals scored by a Tiger men’s soccer team over a top five ranked opponent in the history of the program. The last time that the Tigers have scored five goals in a match against a top-five program was September 1, 1984 as the Tigers defeated fourth-ranked Connecticut 5-0.

This was the first time since the 1999 season that a Clemson player has scored four goals in a single match. The last player to accomplish this feat was Mark Lisi with four goals vs. Winthrop on October 13, 1999. In the history of Clemson men’s soccer, this is the 97th hat trick scored by a Tiger. It was also the most goals that the Tigers have scored against an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent since the 1975 season as Christian Nwokocha scored five goals against Duke on October 26, 1975.

“I’m so happy and proud,” said Brooks, who is a senior graphic communications major from Fredricksburg, VA. “I dedicate tonight’s performance to our team. We work so hard and it’s paying off. I give all of my teammates the credit. We are a team. Greg Eckhardt could have easily scored one of the goals but instead he sent the pass to me and I was there to knock it in. That’s the kind of team we have. We executed the great game plan that the coaches had for us tonight. Again, I dedicate what I did to our team.”

Clemson will play at Virginia next Friday night, October 10, in the Tigers’ next action.