FCE’s Parker named NASL Defensive Player of the Week By Steven Sandor Posted on June 11, 2012 Comments Off on FCE’s Parker named NASL Defensive Player of the Week 0 778 Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Lance Parker On Sunday, FC Edmonton goalkeeper Lance Parker celebrated a bittersweet anniversary. It was exactly a year ago that he suffered a severe compound fracture to his arm in a match against the Carolina RailHawks. Fifteen screws were placed in his right arm. But, making his third start in a row after spending almost a year out rehabbing from the breaks (and a subsequent fractured foot), Parker put his stamp on a 1-0 win over the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. So much of a mark, in fact, that he was named the NASL’s Defensive Player of the Week. With FC Edmonton down to 10 men, Parker made two highlight-reel saves in the driving rain to keep the Eddies in the match — and finally the home side responded with a rousing second-half effort and a goal from Michael Cox to take a deserved 1-0 win. FCE’s Lance Parker claims the ball in front of teammate Chris Kooy (in orange) and Fort Lauderdale’s Abe Thompson. Parker first stopped an Abe Thompson penalty right after defender Antonio Rago was sent off — and then, before the end of the first half, came out to rob Striker Aly Hassan, who was alone in front of goal. For those efforts, Parker earned the adoration of the NASL judges. “We are lucky to have so much talent in one position,” said FCE general manager Tom Leip in a release issued by NASL. “I’m really happy for Lance. He’s fully recovered from his arm injury and he’s playing great for us right now.”
