Orange County SC’s Milan Iloski voted USL Championship Player of the Week

Orange County SC were looking for a gamebreaking performance, and they found it on Friday, when hosting Tulsa FC at Championship Soccer Stadium, beating them 5-1 behind a hat trick from young striker Milan Iloski.

That performance has handed Iloski the USL Championship Player of the Week award for Week 10 of the 2022 regular season, as voted by a panel of national media who covers the league (full disclosure: I vote in that poll and selected Iloski).

Orange County scored all five of their goals in the 1st half. Erick “Cubo” Torres got the party started five minutes in, with a header from close range, before Iloski tallied his first goal in the 10th minute, followed by a second in the 20th.

Iloski then drew a penalty, which was converted by Daniel Pedersen, to make it 4-0, before Iloski wrapped up his hat trick in first half stoppage time. Tulsa added a consolation goal in second half stoppage time, but this was thoroughly an Orange County romp.

Iloski’s hat trick is the first of his pro career, and he’s the fourth player to notch one in OCSC colors, joining Thomas Enevoldsen, Michael Seaton and Chandler Hoffman.

In addition to being Player of the Week, Iloski is on the USL Championship Team of the Week, alongside teammates Mikko Kuningas, who had two assists, and Brent Richards, who chipped in with an assist of his own.

The big win helped Orange County move closer to the playoff line in the Western Conference, and now they sit just two points below it. Obviously it’s early in the season still, but if they can pick up wins more often than not, the struggles coming out of the gate this season could be forgotten before long. Up next, a midweek clash on Wednesday at home against El Paso Locomotive.

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