PEORIA, Ill. -- Junior defender Zach Kovacevic (Naperville, Ill./Neuqua Valley) has been named the Bradley Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week announced Wednesday after scoring the only goal in Bradley's victory at #1-ranked Connecticut.
Bradley was awarded an early penalty kick when senior forward Chris Olivera was clipped by UConn keeper Andre Blake while trying to run onto a ball flicked into the penalty area by defender Grant Bell. Kovacevic, a fourth-year junior defender who had taken but two shots in his entire Bradley career entering the match, calmly stepped to the spot and buried the penalty kick for his first career goal. A health science major, Kovacevic owns a 3.25 cumulative grade point average.
The victory snapped UConn's 39 game unbeaten streak in regular-season home contests (34-0-5) and was the first victory against a #1 ranked team in the country by a Bradley squad since the men's basketball team knocked off Cincinnati 91-90 at Robertson Memorial Fieldhouse on Jan. 16, 1961.
Each week, a Bradley student-athlete is selected as the Country Financial Scholar-Athlete of the Week. The individual chosen must be at least a sophomore in class standing and boast a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average, while displaying a level of athletic excellence.
Kovacevic and the Bradley Soccer team head to Colorado this weekend for a pair of matches, playing Friday at Denver (8 p.m. CDT) and Sunday at Air Force (2:30 p.m. CDT).
