Army West Point Athletics
Men's Soccer Sweeps Patriot League Weekly Honors
August 31, 2026 | Men's Soccer
BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Five Army Men's Soccer players earn Patriot League Weekly Honors after their performances during last week's matches on the road against No. 12 Akron and Columbia the Patriot League announced on Monday afternoon.
Senior Jubril Bamgbala earns Forward of the Week, junior Ronald Zhai earns Midfielder of the Week, senior Kelly Cooper earns Defender of the Week, sophomore Collin Gilbert earns Goalkeeper of the Week, and freshman Gunnar Guest earns Rookie of the Week.
Jubril Bamgbala takes home Forward of the Week honors after a performance against Columbia where he recorded a goal and an assist. Between both games at Akron and Columbia, Bamgbala totaled five shots with two on goal. Against Columbia, he scored in the 27th minute off of an assist by Ronald Zhai and later picked up an assist on Zhai's 68th minute goal.
Ronald Zhai, junior out of San Ramon, California, takes home Midfielder of the Week after he was involved in both of Army's second-half goals against Columbia. Zhai scored a goal in the 68th minute off a loose ball in the box and picked up an assist on Jubril Bamgbala's corner-kick header in the first half. His playmaking helped power the Black Knights' 4-2 victory.
Kelly Cooper takes home his second consecutive Defender of the Week honor after playing a crucial role in commanding the defense against No. 12 Akron. Despite being outshot 24-5, the Black Knights' defense stood tall, holding the Zips scoreless in a 0-0 draw. At Columbia, Cooper assisted offensively, recorded his first goal of the season in the 64th minute of the game en route to a 4-2 victory.
Tampa, Florida native Collin Gilbert earns Patriot League Goalkeeper of the Week honors after shutting down No. 12 Akron and facing a combined 42 shots (13 on goal) between the games against Akron and Columbia. At Akron, Gilbert was perfect, stopping all six shots on goal he faced to preserve the scoreless draw despite being outshot 24-5 on the night. Against Columbia, he made five saves on seven shots on goal, holding a Columbia attack that generated 18 total shots to just two goals. Against Akron, Gilbert recorded a clean sheet, and against Columbia he posted a 0.714 save percentage. Additionally, Gilbert played a full 180 minutes in the two games and only allowed two goals.
Gunnar Guest earns his second consecutive Rookie of the Week honor after logging a total of 180 minutes across both games as part of Army's back line, contributing to the Black Knights' shutout at Akron and a 4-2 win over Columbia.
Patriot League Honors – Aug. 31
Forward of the Week – Jubril Bamgbala, Army West Point
Midfielder of the Week – Ronald Zhai, Army West Point
Defensive Player of the Week – Kelly Cooper, Army West Point
Goalkeeper of the Week – Collin Gilbert, Army West Point
Rookie of the Week – Gunnar Guest, Army West Point
Honorable Mentions
Archie Hatcher, Holy Cross
Trey Sheeler, Lehigh
Adric Rosato, Holy Cross
Army is back in action tonight at home taking on the Yale Bulldogs at Malek Stadium at Clinton Field. Kickoff is set for 6:00 p.m. and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Follow the Black Knights
Follow Army Men's Soccer on X @armywp_msoccer and on Instagram @armywp_msoccer. Fans can also like Army West Point Athletics on Facebook and learn more about men's soccer and other programs at goarmywestpoint.com.
Army West Point Athletic Association, Inc. (AWPAA)
AWPAA is an IRS code 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation established to execute the United States Military Academy's intercollegiate athletics program. AWPAA is led by a board of directors that provides guidance to the director of athletics, who serves as the primary advisor to the USMA Superintendent and the USMA leadership on all NCAA operations. The AWPAA mission is to recruit, educate, train and inspire leaders of character who are committed to the Army values through an extraordinary Division I athletic experience.
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