The Patriot League announced its weekly awards for men’s soccer on Oct. 9. Among the winners, three Greyhounds were recognized: Jordy Luchies ‘25, Dylan Van der Walt ‘26, and Giovanni Marquina ‘27.
Luchies already has another weekly award under his belt as Defensive Player of the Week. He came back from a career-ending injury last season and has played all 90 minutes for the last five games for the Greyhounds. Luchies values this award but also sets his eyes on a final award for the entire team.
“It’s always an honor first of all, but honestly I don’t care, it’s not tangible. Soccer is a team sport – personally you want to perform, but the team comes first. At the end of the year, we want to lift the big trophy,” he said.
Van der Walt received the Goalkeeper of the Week award for the second time this season. This is technically his first season with the team, as he played at Rutgers during his freshman year.
“It’s a good feeling to know that you are working hard. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without the team,” he said, regarding this accomplishment.
With his first career goal against West Virginia, Marquina was awarded Rookie of the Week. He stated that the goal is significant to him and acknowledges the fact that he has put in great effort to achieve that win. However, he explains that he must continue to work hard and put in the necessary time for ongoing success.
“Receiving this award means a lot to me because I’ve been working hard. I feel like I deserved it after scoring against West Virginia, who is ranked third,” he said.
In preseason, the team tied almost every game they played. After defeating Holy Cross with a score of 2-0, the team currently has a record of 4-0-1 in the league.
“When we played Navy and tied, we were like, ‘There we go.’ We beat Colgate and then something clicked, especially after Holy Cross because we share the number one spot. It’s good for the team and it gives you the confidence that the team is working out, especially as a captain,” Luchies said.
Van der Walt, with his fourth shutout of the season after Holy Cross, said, “I think in the beginning we had a bit of a rough start, but as the season progressed, our chemistry has gone up. We are starting to become more consistent on defense.”
The team is now heading into October and into the second half of the season. Luchies is particularly energized about the game against Boston University, who currently have the same record as Loyola. Van der Walt is looking forward to keeping the winning streak alive and to hopefully host the tournament. Marquina also wants to host the tournament and become closer with the team.
The boys have five more in-league games left before playoffs start. Their last two home games are on Oct. 21 at 5 p.m. against Lafayette and Nov. 1 at 6 p.m. against American. Come see these award winners in action before the season ends.
