FMU's Rivas named PBC "Player of the Week"

Francis Marion University sophomore forward Juan Rivas has been selected as the Peach Belt Conference men's soccer "Offensive Player of the Week" for the final week of the 2008 regular season (ending Nov. 2).

Rivas, a native of Clearwater, Fla., tallied two goals and two assists in two matches last week.  He scored twice as FMU beat Lander University 3-1 to capture the PBC regular-season championship.  He also registered a pair of assists earlier in the week as FMU won 4-2 on the road at Catawba College.

He is currently tied for fifth in the PBC in points and fourth in goals scored.  He has scored five of his eight goals against conference opponents.

The 11-4-3 Patriots will play fourth-seeded North Georgia College & State University on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. in the semifinals of the Peach Belt Tournament.  The tournament is being held at the Blanchard Woods Park in Evans, Ga.  Seventh-seeded USC Aiken plays third-seeded Lander University in the first semifinal match at 5:30 p.m.  The championship match is set for Sunday at 3:30 p.m. at the same site.

The regular-season championship was FMU's first since 2002 and its third this decade.  This after the Patriots were picked to finish fifth in the 2008 preseason coaches' poll.  Francis Marion owns a 12-match unbeaten streak - 10 wins and two ties - equaling the second longest string in team history behind a 17-match streak in 2000.

FMU's lone PBC Tournament title came in 1999. 

Rivas and sophomore midfielder Ivan Juric lead FMU in scoring with 21 points apiece.  This year's young squad has only one senior, defender Willie Hunt, with five freshmen playing major minutes.  FMU has outscored its opponents 29-14 after halftime, while the Patriot defense allowed only 25 shots-on-goal and four scores in its six PBC matches in 2008.

Rivas is a product of Countryside High School, where he played on the 2006 Florida Class 6A state championship squad.  He won the same weekly award once as a freshman in 2007.