CLEVELAND – Junior Alex Welch (Carmarthen, Wales/King's College Madrid) of the Northern Illinois University men's soccer team was named the Mid-American Conference Player of the Week, the conference office announced on Tuesday (Oct. 22). Welch earned the weekly league honor after scoring two goals and recording two assists in NIU's 4-2 victory at West Virginia last Friday night (Oct. 18). 

The junior midfielder played provider on each of NIU's first two goals, assisting on senior Ethan Pitre's (Minneapolis, Minn./Prairie Seeds Academy) opening goal in the 32nd minute and sophomore Nick Markanich's (Bourbonnais, Ill./Bradley-Bourbonnais) 54th minute tally. West Virginia had tied the game, 2-2, when Welch netted his first goal, the eventual game-winner, in the 71st minute and then added an insurance marker in the 89th minute to help the Huskies to their give win over the Mountaineers in Morgantown. 

For the season, Welch has tallied three goals and is tied for the MAC lead with six assists; his 12 points this season are tied for eighth best in the conference. Welch now has nine goals and 11 assists during his three-year career at NIU. 

This is the first MAC weekly award for Welch and the first for NIU since Nick Markanich was named Co-MAC Player of the Week on October 23, 2018. 

Welch and the Huskies will be back in action at home on Friday night, October 25, when they host Western Michigan in the final home game of the regular season. Kickoff against the Broncos is slated for 7 p.m.