Sept. 17, 2012

LEXINGTON, Ky. — Kentucky men’s soccer senior Matt Lodge and junior Jack Van Arsdale have been named Conference USA Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively, it was announced by the league office on Monday afternoon.

Lodge was named the C-USA Offensive Player of the Week after netting a game-winning goal on a free kick at No. 18 Louisville on Friday. Van Arsdale, who was also named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week for the NCAA’s top goalkeeping performance, was named C-USA Co-Defensive Player of the Week along with SMU’s Jaime Ibarra.

The award for Lodge is the second career C-USA Offensive Player of the Week honor for one of the most decorated performers in UK soccer history. The native of Rossington, England, provided the offensive heroics in UK’s 1-0 win at Louisville, netting a gorgeous strike on a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box, bending his shot around the wall and past the diving keeper at the far post. The goal was Lodge’s third of the year and the 20th of his career, with the co-captain now ranking sixth in UK career history in goals and points (55). Lodge leads UK with three goals and 17 shots.

Van Arsdale has been locked in a position battle for the starting net minder position throughout the beginning of the 2012 season with talented freshman Callum Irving. A native of Richmond, Va., Van Arsdale turned in the best game of his two-year UK career on Friday, saving a career-best six shots in his first career shutout. The transfer from Virginia Commonwealth turned in a heroic performance for a youthful UK defensive unit, with one of his most acrobatic saves of the night coming as a kick save on a breakaway in the second half. In four games and three starts in 2012, Van Arsdale has a 1.12 goals-against average with 15 saves.

Kentucky (2-4-0) returns to action on Wednesday, hosting East Tennessee State at 7 p.m. ET at the UK Soccer Complex.