Mia Vandenhoek (Caledon, Ont.) of the women's rugby team and Nikola Neskovic (Mississauga, Ont.) of the men's soccer team have been named the Brock University Athletes of the Week for the period ending Sunday, Oct. 12.
On Saturday, Oct. 12, the Badgers traveled to London for a win-or-go-home contest against the No. 6 Western Mustangs in an Ontario University Athletics (OUA) quarterfinal matchup. Vandenhoek was subbed on with 20 minutes left in regulation and made an immediate impact. The third-year flanker had strong carries every time she touched the ball and made multiple momentum-changing tackles. With just two minutes remaining in regulation and the Badgers' season on the line, the Medical Sciences major seized her moment, scoring the game-tying try for Brock to send it to overtime. Vandenhoek played the entirety of overtime as the Badgers went on to defeat the Mustangs 38-12 and advance to the OUA semifinals.
With their sights on a home playoff game, Neskovic and the Badgers played host to the McMaster Marauders on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at Alumni Field. The game was tense and close all the way through, finishing in a 0-0 draw. The first-year goalkeeper was sensational, making key saves down the stretch and stopping all four shots on target he faced, including a dangerous free kick in the final minutes. In Saturday's rematch, the Kinesiology major was once again put to the test and delivered his second consecutive and OUA leading sixth overall clean sheet en route to a 1-0 win for the Badgers. Neskovic's stellar weekend played a large role in earning Brock a home playoff game as they will take on the Laurier Golden Hawks on Wednesday, Oct. 15 at Alumni Field.
