CHARLOTTE, N.C. – On Tuesday afternoon the Big South Conference office announced that Gardner-Webb senior midfielder Abel Gebrekiros (Austin, Minn.) has been named the Big South Men's Soccer Offensive Player of the Week, and fellow teammate defender Samuel Catherall (Renton, Wash.) is the Defensive Player of the Week.
 
Gebrekiros and Catheral earned the weekly honors for the match played against VMI on Sunday during the opening weekend of the 2021 spring season.
 
Gebrekiros netted two goals in Gardner-Webb's 5-0 victory over VMI on Sunday afternoon.  His first goal at 30:24 pushed GWU's lead to 2-0, and his second goal of the day came just before halftime at 44:36 to extend the Runnin' Bulldogs advantage to 4-0.

Catherall was part of the Gardner-Webb back line that permitted just four shots overall and two on frame in Sunday's 5-0 win over VMI.  The Runnin' Bulldogs defense allowed only one corner kick on the day.
 
Gardner-Webb Men's Soccer will remain on the road next week as they travel up the road to face conference opponent High Point on Feb. 21^st.