NEW ORLEANS — Xavier University of Louisiana's Gustavo Oliveira is the Red River Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Week in men's soccer, and teammate Caio Tascheto is RRAC Defensive Player of the Week.
        The RRAC announced Monday the awards, which cover Sept. 25-Oct. 1. Oliveira and Tascheto are first-time winners, and it's the first time this season that the same school swept the RRAC awards in this sport.
        Oliveira, a 6-foot-1 junior forward from Governador Valadares, Brazil, scored three goals during XULA's 2-0 week — one against LSU-Shreveport and both goals against Texas A&M-Texarkana. Oliveira leads the Gold Rush with seven goals this season.
        XULA head coach Gonzalo Carranza describes Tascheto — a 6-foot junior defender from Rondonopolis, Brazil — as "our backline leader. Twice this week he was instrumental — again — in crucial moments on and off the ball. Defense is not solely about goaltending. It's also about the other guys who guard their men and get between the ball and the goal."
        The Gold Rush defeated LSUS, the 2022 RRAC Tournament champion, 3-0 Thursday. The losing margin was the largest for LSUS in a shutout against an RRAC opponent since reviving its men's soccer program in 2017. The shutout was XULA's fourth in a row, all in conference.
        XULA has won the most RRAC men's soccer weekly awards — four — this season.
        Next for the Gold Rush — 6-1 overall and tied for first place with Louisiana Christian in the RRAC at 5-0 — will be a two-game RRAC trip: 3:30 p.m. Thursday at Texas College and 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Jarvis Christian. Note the earlier start time Thursday; the women's game that will start at 1 p.m. The next Gold Rush home game will start at 3:30 p.m. against RRAC opponent Houston-Victoria at Lafreniere Park in Metairie, La. Admission is free to XULA home games.

XULA men's soccer 2023 Red River Athletic Conference Players of the Week
•  Aug. 28-Sept. 3:  Breno Zanolla, defense
•  Sept. 4-10:  Leonardo Menzen, offense
•  Sept. 25-Oct. 1:  Gustavo Oliveira, offense; Caio Tascheto, defense



Photos of Gustavo Oliveira and Caio Tascheto by Chuck Cook