SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (October 26, 2026) – Western New England men's soccer's Ben Riley has earned the Conference of New England (CNE) Offensive Player of the Week award following a strong offensive performance that helped the Golden Bears secure two conference victories over Gordon College and Curry College last week.
Riley appeared in both contests for Western New England, helping the Golden Bears earn a 1-0 victory over Gordon College on Wednesday afternoon before turning in a two-goal performance in Saturday's 4-1 comeback victory over Curry College. Riley played 43 minutes in the win over Gordon before leading the Golden Bears' offense against Curry, scoring twice on three shots, including two on goal.
With Western New England trailing Curry 1-0 in the opening half of a must-win contest, Riley found the back of the net in the 44th minute off an assist from Saif Shaker, giving the Golden Bears a 2-1 lead heading into halftime. Riley struck again in the 78th minute, scoring an unassisted goal to extend WNE's advantage to 3-1. The Golden Bears added one final goal to complete the 4-1 victory, securing their fifth CNE win of the season.
Riley and the Golden Bears return to action on Wednesday, October 28, at 3:30 p.m. when they host the University of Hartford at Suprenant Field for their final regular-season contest before the upcoming CNE Tournament.
