ATLANTA--Georgia
State men's soccer forwards Alex Vivanco and William Mellors-Blair earned CAA
Player and Rookie of the Week honors respectively after leading the Panthers to
two wins last weekend in Jacksonville, Fla.
GSU won 1-0 at Jacksonville last Friday and 3-1 at North
Florida on Sunday afternoon to win the Mike Gibbs Memorial Tournament. Vivanco,
named the MVP of the tournament following Sunday's match, scored two goals vs.
North Florida and added an assist on the game-winning goal against
Jacksonville. The two-goal match was the first of the senior forward's career.
His assist against Jacksonville helped classmate Gimel Gordon net the
game-winning tally.
Mellors-Blair, a freshman from Nottingham, England,
delivered assists on both game-winning goals in the two victories. He keyed Gordon's
game winner against Jacksonville with a cross from the right side that Vivanco
headed on net. The header forced the goalkeeper to make a desperation save and
leave a rebound that Gordon fired into the net from point-blank range. Mellors-Blair
then added an assist on redshirt junior Caleb Kernan's game winner against
North Florida, this time from the left side. Mellors-Blair sent in a cross that
a diving Kernan headed just inside the left post.
Mellors-Blair took home All-Tournament team honors,
joining Vivanco, Gordon and senior defender Peter Vania (Defensive MVP) on the
squad. Georgia State's 2-0 start is its first since 2003.
The Panthers, led by third-year head coach Brett Surrency, host their first regular-season home match
of the 2012 season on Saturday against Evansville at 7 p.m. Admission to all
Georgia State matches at the GSU Soccer Complex is free for all fans. Visit the
men's soccer page on www.GeorgiaStateSports.com for
a preview of the match later this week.
www.GeorgiaStateSports.com