NNU’s Howard Earns Warrior Accolade

(Photo by Bob White)

ATLANTA – After leading the Nighthawks to a huge victory in a Top 10 non-conference showdown, Northwest Nazarene graduate midfielder Loy Howard is the MCLA Division II Warrior Player of the Week for the period ending April 13.

The fifth-ranked Nighthawks entertained No. 10 Utah State on Saturday and Northwest Nazarene was able to double-up the Aggies thanks to the efforts of the Boise product. Howard buried five goals and set up a sixth as the ‘Hawks posted the 18-9 triumph.

In addition to the scoring, Howard grabbed a quartet of ground balls and caused four turnovers.

"Loy is a true student of the game,” said Northwest Nazarene coach Tom Blanchard. “He studies all the different aspects of the game and he is always looking for ways to add to his game, which is one of the reasons I think he is the ultimate competitor.

“If you watch us practice, he is the one players constantly talking and challenging others to raise their level of play. He brings an intensity to the field and I think that intensity has helped our entire team in this maturation process.

"This back stretch of the season, we've been very intentional about making sure we take one game at a time and not overlooking anyone with conference playoffs and nationals around the corner. The message to the team for our game with Utah State was to stay locked in and to set the tone of the game from the opening whistle and I think Loy did a great job of being a tone-setter in this game by finishing around the cage and forcing turnovers on the ride."

For his efforts earning the Warrior Player of the Week, Howard will receive a Warrior XP2-O head – a $120 value. Warrior is a proud sponsor of the MCLA.

Warrior Honor Roll

Morgan Thielke, Tampa
Senior finishes up career with 10 goals and six assists in a pair of UT triumphs.

John Tolve, Wake Forest
In a 2-1 week for the Demon Deacons, the rookie recorded nine goals and two assists.

Pete Weise, Cal Poly-Humboldt
Tied the single-game scoring mark with 10 goals and four assists in win over St. Mary’s.