BOSTON — A pair of Hartford men's soccer team members received a weekly award from the America East on Monday. Sophomore goalkeeper
Rotem Fadida was named the league's Defensive Player of the Week, while freshman midfielder
Olivier Sylvain received Rookie of the Week distinction from the conference.
Fadida and Sylvain were instrumental in leading Hartford to a perfect 2-0 record last week. The Hawks defeated Dartmouth, 1-0, on Al-Marzook Field at Alumni Stadium this past Tuesday before they upended Stony Brook, 3-1, inside LaValle Stadium for their first America East victory on Saturday.
With the victories, Hartford has won back-to-back matches for the first time since the start of the 2021 abbreviated season.
Fadida was solid in goal for the Hawks last week, stopping nine of the 10 shots he faced. A native of Haifa, Israel, he registered five saves to earn his second clean sheet of the season against the Big Green. Four days later, Fadida stopped four shots — including a penalty kick in the 45th minute — to lead Hartford to a 3-1 win at Stony Brook.
Receiving America East Defensive Player of the Week honors for the first time in his career, Fadida pushed his weekly award total to two, as he took home Rookie of the Week honors during the 2021 abbreviated spring season (March 9). The America East's leader in saves (32), he enters the week ranked No. 6 in the America East in GAA (1.46) and save percentage (.704).
A native of Montreal, Quebec, Sylvain registered his first points in a Hartford uniform after he got the Hawks on the board at Stony Brook in the 42nd minute. He has been a mainstay in the midfield all season, starting all 11 matches while leading the team in minutes played (1,108).
The Hawks look to continue their winning ways with a pair of home matches this week. Hartford concludes non-conference play on Tuesday against Yale (7 p.m.), before it continues America East action on Saturday against UAlbany (7 p.m.).
For more information on the Hartford men's soccer team, stay with HartfordHawks.com for updates and follow the team on social media (
Twitter | Instagram)
