SPARTANBURG, S.C. – ETSU forward Joao Ramalho has been named the Southern Conference men’s soccer player of the week for all competition from Aug. 29-31 after leading the Bucs to a pair of wins over the opening weekend of play. The selection is made by the league office.

League newcomer ETSU (2-0) won both of its contests at the VCU Invitational in Richmond, Va., topping William & Mary 3-2 and host VCU 2-1. The Tribe and the Rams were both receiving votes in the preseason NSCAA/Continental Tire Top 25.

Ramalho was an offensive force over the weekend, scoring a pair of goals in each game to account for four of the Bucs’ five goals.

The redshirt sophomore from Monte Santo, Brazil, got his weekend started by scoring ETSU’s first two goals against William & Mary on Friday. With the Bucs trailing 1-0 early, Ramalho evened the score with his first goal of the season, in the 32nd minute. He followed with another strike just after halftime, scoring his second of the day in the 46th minute by getting loose on a breakaway off an ETSU goal kick.

Against the Rams on Sunday, Ramalho had both ETSU goals to lead the Bucs to the undefeated weekend. Both of Ramalho’s goals were unassisted, as he struck in the 16th and 61st minutes in win.

Ramalho becomes the first ETSU player to be named SoCon player of the week in men’s soccer. The Bucs competed in the league from 1980-81 before shelving their program, which relaunched in 2008 and spent the previous six seasons in the Atlantic Sun Conference.

ETSU hosts Radford on Saturday at 7 p.m. in its lone action this week.

Also nominated: Bobby Edet (Furman), Will Bagrou (Mercer), and Nestor Jaramillo (Wofford).

2014 SoCon Men’s Soccer Players of the Week
Sept. 2    Joao Ramalho, ETSU