Senior forward Trent Rickard of The Master's University men's soccer team has been named the PrestoSports NAIA Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, the NAIA announced Tuesday, Oct. 27.
Rickard recorded a hat trick in both of TMU's wins last week. He finished with six goals and three assists for 15 points, putting 15 of his 20 shots on target. He scored or assisted on nine of the Mustangs' 11 goals.
On Thursday, Oct. 22, Rickard had three goals and an assist in a 4-3 win over Park-Gilbert. He took 11 shots, eight of them on goal.
On Saturday, Oct. 24, he had three goals and two assists in a 7-2 win over Life Pacific at Franson Field in Azusa. After Life Pacific scored first on a 10th-minute penalty kick, Rickard set up Adiel Kaduya for the equalizer at 15:54. One minute later, he assisted Hunter Phelps for a 2-1 lead. Rickard then scored at 24:11 for a 3-1 lead, which held up as the game-winner. That goal was part of a five-goal burst in just over 12 minutes.
Rickard completed the hat trick early in the second half with two goals in under two minutes, at 58:01 and 59:51. He put seven of his nine shots on target and played 60 minutes. TMU outshot Life Pacific 38-11 and completed a season sweep of the Warriors.
Rickard also earned the award for the week of Oct. 13. That week he scored four goals with two assists, and had a hand in all six TMU goals. He had two goals, both on penalty kicks, and an assist in a 3-1 win at La Sierra. He then scored twice, including the 70th-minute game-winner, in a 3-2 comeback win over Soka.
Rickard was the 2024 GSAC Player of the Year and a two-time All-GSAC selection.
The Mustangs (10-4-3, 9-2-1 GSAC) have won two straight and are unbeaten in their last four. TMU closes the regular season at Soka University on Thursday, Oct. 29, at 7:30 p.m. in Aliso Viejo.
