DePaul University Athletics
Vroom Finishes Big Week With BIG EAST Award
10/12/2009 12:00:00 AM | MEN'S SOCCER
CHICAGO - Steffen Vroom realizes the life of a forward has its ups and downs.
Well, the DePaul senior is definitely on the rise after his two consecutive game-winning goals brought him the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week award on Monday.
It is the second time this season that honor has been bestowed upon Vroom, and the third time in his career.
"There were a couple of times where I missed a 'sitter' earlier in the season," Vroom said. "I felt I had let my teammates down. You just hope for a chance to make it up to them. That's the life of a forward.
"Then, there are instances where you are in the right place at the right time and everything just clicks. A lot of times, it's my teammates doing all the work to set me up. All I have to do is finish."
He has been DePaul's closer in recent weeks. Vroom has scored the winning goal in the Blue Demons' last three victories---a 1-0 decision at Pittsburgh on Sept. 25, the overtime winner in a 2-1 win over Cincinnati last Wednesday and last Saturday's game-winner in a 1-0 verdict over Rutgers.
Vroom's recent goal-scoring burst gives him a team-high six goals and also a team-leading 13 points. A Preseason All-BIG EAST choice, Vroom topped the Blue Demons in goals (four) and points (10) last year.
After leading DePaul to upsets over then-No. 9 Northwestern on Sept. 7 and then-No. 8 UC-Irvine on Sept. 11, Vroom was named National Player of the Week by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America and by Soccer America. He scored the first goal in three matches that week and wound up with seven points. Vroom was also named Most Valuable Player of the Marquette Invitational that same week.
Those performances propelled Vroom to his previous distinction as BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week.
"Steffen Vroom has had a very good season, and he is capable of even more," said DePaul coach Craig Blazer. "When Vroom and the offense are scoring, it takes pressure off the defense."
Vroom's next shot at a game-winning goal comes Wednesday at Loyola-Chicago.