Hat Trick Heroics Earn Indy Eleven Forward Eamon Zayed NASL Player of the Week Award
Published on June 13, 2016 under North American Soccer League (NASL)
Indy Eleven News Release
NEW YORK/INDIANAPOLIS - If Indy Eleven's win on Saturday night was to ever make it to the big screen, the movie would be called "The Miracle at The Mike" and Irish forward Eamon Zayed would be cast in the lead role.
The Boys in Blue did just enough to bring home the North American Soccer League (NASL) Spring Season Championship, and much of the achievement could be attributed to the performance of Zayed, who was named NASL Player of the Week after scoring a hat trick in the 4-1 victory over the Carolina RailHawks.
"Obviously it's a nice honor to get personally, but it was achieved by a total team effort, a 'never say die attitude' and close to 10,000 unbelievable fans on Saturday night," said Zayed, who was the only player to earn the NASL's weekly award twice during the 2016 Spring Season. "The teamwork we've shown since the first game of the Spring Season through the last is what allowed us to earn a trophy for those tremendous supporters and I'm just glad to have played a part in it."
More than 9,300 fans witnessed history at Michael A. Carroll Stadium - affectionately known as "The Mike" - on Saturday, cheering the Eleven on to the exact result the club needed to overcome the then-first place New York Cosmos. Needing to score four goals and win by at least three, Zayed found the net in the 16^th, 65^th, and 85^th minutes to help Indy clinch its first piece of NASL silverware and guarantee itself a home semifinal game in The Championship, the league's four-team postseason tournament, in November.
Zayed, 32, now sits atop the NASL scoring chart with six goals - one above Minnesota United's Christian Ramirez and Rayo OKC's Michel. The Irish forward, who represents Libya at the international level, scored Indy's biggest goals of the Spring Season. He was the one that delivered both tallies in the Eleven's all-important 2-1 win over the Cosmos back on May 16, which earned him his first Player of the Week selection, and on Saturday, his hat trick - plus Justin Braun's key goal just before halftime - sent Indy to its most significant win in club history.
"Saturday's team effort across the board is what earned the incredible result, but there's no denying Eamon was a catalyst for the squad," Indy Eleven head coach Tim Hankinson said. "While we depend upon him to score, he does so many other things to help our attack and his teammates across the field. All of those attributes were on display for the full 90 minutes to help our club earn the Spring Season title."
The 6-foot-2 forward joined the Boys in Blue prior to the 2016 Spring Season after spending last year in the Malaysian Premier League with Sabah. Prior to that stint, Zayed was a prolific goalscorer in the League of Ireland. The Dublin native starred for the likes of Bray Wanderers, Drogheda United, Sporting Fingal, and Derry City, among others. A Leicester City youth product, Zayed has also played at the professional level in England, Norway, and Iran.
Indy Eleven will not have long to celebrate its first title in club history, as the "Boys in Blue" have already turned their attention to Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play, which continues this Wednesday, June 15, with a Fourth Round affair against Major League Soccer side Chicago Fire SC. Kickoff on Wednesday night from Toyota Park in suburban Bridgeview, Ill., is set for 8:30 p.m. ET.
Indy Eleven will next return home to Carroll Stadium on Sunday, June 26, for an exhibition match pitting champion against champion with Liga MX Clausura Season winner C.F. Pachuca coming to "The Mike" for a 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff. Tickets for that match - which will feature the debut of new Indy Eleven midfielder and Mexican National Team legend Gerardo Torrado - are available starting at just $11; for full ticket details, visit www.IndyEleven.com/Pachuca .
North American Soccer League Stories from June 13, 2016
- Wednesday's Armada FC Open Cup Match Will Air Live on CW17, ArmadaFC.Com - Jacksonville Armada FC
- Indy Eleven Forward Eamon Zayed Named NASL Player of the Week - NASL
- Hat Trick Heroics Earn Indy Eleven Forward Eamon Zayed NASL Player of the Week Award - Indy Eleven
- Weekly Sports League and Franchise Report - OSC Original by Dan Krieger
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