IRVINE, Calif. –Hawai'i Pacific University's Austin Stafford was named the first PacWest Hawai'i Pod Men's Soccer Player of the Week for his heroic action on Saturday.
 
Stafford, a 5-10 junior from Federal Way, Wash./Beamer via the closed down Concordia Portland, scored the first goal of the season in the Hawai'i Pod and he did it at just the right time. The season opener went into overtime as a scoreless tie as Chaminade's goalkeeper saved all eight of the Sharks shots on goal. HPU broke through in the 106th minute with Stafford's golden goal. Yuya Yamamoto sent a corner kick into the box, which Stafford headed into the right side of the net for the 1-0 victory in the first PacWest soccer game in Hawaii since November 16, 2019.
 
Stafford is joined this week by the PacWest Southern California Player of the Week Parker Scalzo of Point Loma and by the PacWest Northern California Player of the Week Brian Sanchez of Dominican.
 
The Sharks (1-0, 1-0) return to action on Sunday, March 28, when they host Hawai'i Hilo.