ORLANDO, Fla. (September 1, 2026) - The Sunshine State Conference announced the men's soccer Player of the Week awards on Tuesday morning. Two Tars claimed the initial awards for the 2026 season, with
Pablo Herrero claiming the Offenisve award and
Jaden Splunge earning the Defensive side.
In the season-opener against a tough Lenoir-Rhyne squad, Herrero sparked a comeback for the #2 Tars, leading them to a 6-5 victory in a wet and wild affair. Trailing 2-0 in the 24th minute, Herrero received a beautiful cross from Splunge, punching it into the net to put Rollins on the board.
Just one minute later, the Tars showed a touch of deja vu, except this time it was
Finlay Prain delivering a cross that Herrero headed in to tie the game.
With the score tied at three all, Herrero put Rollins ahead and recorded his first career hat trick with his third goal of the game. In the 42nd minute, Splunge and Prain worked the far sideline before finding Herrero one more time in the box, putting the Tars up 4-3 at the half.
Herrero then put a bow on his career day just four minutes into the second half when he ripped a screamer from the top of the box for his fourth brace of the match. Rollins would go on to win 6-5.
Splunge, a sophomore defender, accounted for three assists in the same game. He is just the twelfth Tar to achieve the feat since 1993. In addition to his three helpers, he also produced the free kick that was headed in by an Emory & Henry player that was the difference in the Tars' 2-1 win on Saturday.
Herrero is just the fifth Tar in program history to record four goals in one match, following Wilson Flohr (6 - 1967), Pete Williams (6 - 1969), Mark Buehler (6 - 1970), and Stefan Avram (4 - 2017).
This is the first SSC Player of the Week award for each athlete.
