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PAC-12 NAMES CAL’S BIRNBAUM MEN’S SOCCER PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Sep 3, 2013

WALNUT CREEK, Calif. - The Pac-12 Conference office voted CALIFORNIA’s Steve Birnbaum as the Pac-12 Men’s Soccer Player of the Week for the opening week of the season, Commissioner Larry Scott announced today. 

Birnbaum, a fifth-year senior defender from Irvine, Calif., who redshirted last season due to injury, scored his third- and fourth-career goals to help then-unranked California upset No. 3 Georgetown on Aug. 30 and No. 2 Maryland on Sept. 1. Against the Terrapins, Birnbaum scored the game’s first goal on a 14th-minute strike and assisted on the golden goal in the 97th minute in the 3-2 victory. In the win over Georgetown, he converted a 48th-minute penalty kick to cap the 2-0 upset over the 2012 national runner-up. After two games, Birnbaum leads Cal in points (5) and goals (single-season career-high 2). 

This is Birnbaum’s second-career weekly honor and California’s 22nd all-time player of the week. 

The Bears head across the Bay to play at San Francisco on Thursday, Sept. 5 at 7 p.m. in their only match of the week. 

Pac-12 Networks will feature California men’s soccer seven more times this season after having broadcast the Bears’ previous two matches for a total of nine televised games for California. A total of 28 matches will be featured live on the Pac-12 Networks. For the full schedule, visit www.pac-12.com

Also Nominated: Matt Bersano, OSU; Abraham Villon, SDSU; Zach Batteer, STAN; Earl Edwards Jr., UCLA; Brad Jacobson, WASH. 

2013 Pac-12 Players of the Week
Sept. 3 - Steve Birnbaum, CAL