When it rains, it pours at Stagg Field.
With three Maroons garnering Athlete of the Week Awards, Chicago put on quite a show of defensive and offensive prowess over the past seven days of play. Fourth-year quarterback Matt Rinklin earned recognition as the top offensive performer while goalkeepers fourth-year Keith Crum and second-year Polly Cline got the nod for top defensive honors.
After nailing down back-to-back shutouts with a 1–0 squeaker over 11th-ranked Dominican September 20 and a 3–0 blanking of John Carroll on Sunday, Crum matched the men’s soccer all-time record for clean sheets. The veteran recorded five saves in the two matches to go along with his 19th and 20th career shutouts. It is Crum’s first Athlete of the Week honor of the season and the third of his career.
Feeling plenty comfortable in front of her own net, Cline kept the Maroons in the game for a 2–1 overtime victory against Carthage September 20. The sophomore keeper allowed only one goal in 199:24 of action against the Lady Reds before following it up with a 1–0 shutout over eighth-ranked DePauw Saturday at Stagg. It is the first such honor for Cline, who is in her first season as the full-time starter.
Hitting all of his marks in football’s triumphant road trip, Rinklin connected on 16 of 24 passing attempts for 185 yards with just one interception to launch the South Siders to their 34–7 thrashing of Macalester on Saturday. The seasoned QB added 84 yards rushing to lock up his first Athlete of the Week honor of the year and second of his career.
