Bjork, Culpan earn Player of Week honors

BELLINGHAM, WA— The Evergreen Premier League announces that Tyler Bjork (Offense) and Ben Culpan (Defense) are this week’s EPLWA Rock’em Socks Players of the Week. Both will receive EPLWA Rock’em Socks in honor of their accomplishment.

TYLER BJORK (OFFENSE)

Tyler Bjork has scored 24 goals in the short history of the Evergreen Premier League. He still holds the record for most goals in a single season with 13 in 2014. Along his journey he has only been named Player of the Week (which started in 2015) once. Now he’s got another pair of socks thanks to scoring a brace and kicking in an assist in Seattle Stars’ 3-3 draw at the Olympic Force.

“Tyler was a man on a mission,” says Seattle Stars head coach Juan Sandoval. “While riding the ferry from Seattle to Bremerton he was already talking about the match and it’s that type of contagious mindset and optimism that is getting his teammates to up their level of play.” Bjork scored 20 goals in a Bellingham United kit and already has four this season with the Stars. “He’s quickly gaining respect for the way he conducts himself on and off the field, always giving 100% in practices and specially on game day.”

Sandoval describe’s Tyler’s match this way: “His first goal was a strike from outside the eighteen that he created himself by shaking off a defender before pulling the trigger. The second goal came on an assist from Henry Pappin. Tyler’s a player with great vision; he knows when to take his shots and when to pass, as he did when he assisted Juan Maldonado on a wall pass for our third goal.”

BEN CULPAN (DEFENSE)

Vancouver Victory FC have only given up two goals this season in their 4-0-0 start. One of the reasons is the effort and organization in the middle from Kiwi import Ben Culpan. On Saturday night the Victory faced South Sound FC for the second time in the young season. It was a great battle that V2FC won in part because Culpan did so well moving his midfield line at the right time to squelch Shock attacks.

“Ben helps us keep opponents from getting at our back line in several ways,” says V2FC head coach Aaron Lewis. “He is very good in possession, slows up opponents’ counter attacks and organizes our transistional defending (whether to press or drop) really well.”

South Sound brings a solid attacking crew in JJ Schmeck (4 goals) and Eddie Na (2 goals). Only Na broke through in a 3-1 Vancouver win. Culpan was on his game as the midfield organizer. “He did all of that this past weekend in addition to understanding the type of tempo we as a team are looking for (when to slow and manage versus when to speed up play when we have teams chasing),” says Lewis.

About the Players of the Week honors

The Evergreen Premier League  will be selecting an offensive and defensive Player of the Week each week during the 2016 season. The Players of the Week will be acknowledged with a pair of custom, unique socks featuring the EPLWA logo. The socks are from Rock’Em Apparel, the Official Provider of the weekly reward. The league worked with Rock’Em Apparel to finalize the look of the socks. The league logo is complemented by a rendering of George Washington in the State seal.

The phrase “Rock ‘Em” represents the willingness to achieve greatness; to go above and beyond limits,” says www.RockEmApparel.com.

Evergreen Premier League players will work to do just that for their clubs this season. The best of the best will have cool custom socks to show off around town for their efforts.