After dropping its season opener a week earlier, Simon Fraser University (SFU) men's soccer came out gunning against Sonoma State last Thursday (Sept. 1).
The Red Leafs shut out the Seawolves on the road by a score of 2-0 last Thursday (Sept. 1).
Defender Nicolai Placzek put the Burnaby post-secondary on the board first in the 40th minute, hitting the score sheet for the first time in an SFU uniform.
The sophomore from Germany transferred from NCAA Div. I school Alabama-Birmingham before the start of the 2022 campaign.
North Vancouver forward Devin O'Hea also scored his first for SFU when he found the back of the net in the 57th minute to put the visitors up 2-0.
Junior goalkeeper Justyn Sandhu stopped four shots in the win, earning his first shutout with SFU.
The Richmond, B.C., product had previously played three years with NCAA Div. I St. Bonaventure (N.Y.).
Meanwhile, New Westminster defender Niko Papakyriakopoulos earned his first point of the 2022 campaign with an assist on O'Hea's second half goal.
The men followed up its first win of the year with another impressive 1-0 win against Chico State on Saturday (Sept. 3).
In the 72nd minute, O'Hea scored his second goal in as many games to put SFU up 1-0 at University Soccer Stadium.
Chico State pushed 15 shots on SFU's net, but were not able to convert as Sandhu finished with four saves and earned his second straight shutout.
O'Hea's impressive performances earned him the Great Northwest Athletic Conference's Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week while Sandhu was named Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week.
SFU is scheduled to face Fort Lewis Colorado on Thursday (Sept. 8) at Community Hospital Unity Field with kickoff at 3 p.m.
