Thursday, October 22, 2009

For the second week in a row and the third time in the award’s five weeks, a Valparaiso athlete has been named ‘The People’s Choice’ on the Horizon League Network, as Crusader men’s soccer player Roby Del Giudice (Toronto, Ont./Robert F. Hall [Wallace State C.C.]) is this week’s winner of the honor.  Del Giudice is currently spotlighted in the featured video on the HLN website via phone interview.

Del Giudice was voted as ‘The People’s Choice’ this week after being named the Horizon League Men’s Soccer Player of the Week earlier this week.  He earned both awards on the basis of his performance in the Crusaders’ 3-2 overtime victory over league leader Green Bay last Saturday.  The junior scored a goal early in the second half to give Valpo a 2-1 lead, and then after the Phoenix forced extra time, picked up the primary assist on the match-winning goal.

‘The People’s Choice’ is a weekly segment on HLN that allows fans to choose which athlete they believed had the most outstanding week among the Horizon League’s Athletes of the Week.  Voting is open from Monday around noon through Tuesday afternoon each week, with an interview with the winner posted on HLN Thursday afternoon.  Del Giudice, who became the first male athlete to win the honor, beat out Butler’s Katie Daprile (volleyball), Milwaukee’s Sarah Hagen (women’s soccer) and Valpo’s own Angie Porché (volleyball) for this week’s award.  Del Giudice joined Porché and Taylor Root as the Crusaders who have won ‘The People’s Choice’ honor in its first five weeks.