ports Tampa Bay Rowdies Defender Stefan Antonijevic Named NASL Player of the Week

ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rowdies knocked off the defending North American Soccer League (NASL) champions, the San Antonio Scorpions, on Saturday night, and playing a large role in the 3-1 victory was defender Stefan Antonijevic, who was named NASL Player of the Week on Monday.

Antonijevic scored the Rowdies’ first goal of the 2015 season, heading home a corner kick in the 10^th minute to set the tone for a solid road performance. The 6-foot-6 defender put in a strong defensive shift as well, clearing a shot off the goal line in the first half and making a key tackle to prevent a Scorpions scoring opportunity later in the game. 

"It's an honor to be named the NASL Player of the Week," Antonijevic said. "It's an exciting time to be a part of this team and hopefully there is more to come. It was important for me to score my first NASL goal, but most importantly, it helped the team pick up the win against the defending champions."

The Chicago area native played with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers last season, and played against the Scorpions in The Championship Final last November. Antonijevic fell short on that occasion at Toyota Field, but redeemed himself on Saturdaynight, helping his new club make an early season statement under new head coach Thomas Rongen.

"Stefan had an excellent match on Saturday, playing a vital role both defensively and offensively," Rongen said. "Not only did he score the first goal of the match, but he also had a clearance off the line when the match was still 1-0. I am proud of Stefan for earning this honor, and I am also proud of the team for picking up the three points on the road in San Antonio."

The Rowdies continue their early season gauntlet on Saturday when they host defending Spring Season Champion Minnesota United FC at the newly renovated Al Lang Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and the match can be seen live on ESPN3. For tickets, call (727) 222-2000 or click here.