NASHVILLE – Trevecca Nazarene University men's soccer freshman Zion Jones is this week's Gulf South Conference Freshman of the Week for the week ending Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026.
Jones, a 5-foot-8 freshman midfielder from Freetown, Sierra Leone, scored the first two goals of his collegiate career during the week, helping the Trojans remain unbeaten and improve to 5-0-2 overall and 1-0-2 in Gulf South Conference play.
The Trojans went 1-0-1 during the week, earning a 1-1 road draw at No. 20 Alabama Huntsville before returning home for a 6-2 GSC victory over Mississippi Christian.
ZION JONES | GSC FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Jones produced his breakthrough performance in Saturday's win over Mississippi Christian, scoring twice as Trevecca recorded a season-high six goals.
Jones scored his first collegiate goal in the 30th minute, finishing a combination from Jack Franklin and Chris Douglas to give the Trojans a 4-0 advantage.
He struck again in the 88th minute, scoring off assists from Seth Isbell and Joe Coyle for his second goal of the match and the final goal in Trevecca's 6-2 victory.
The two-goal performance came against a Mississippi Christian team selected second in the GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll after receiving a conference-high six first-place votes.
Jones was one of three Trojans selected to the 2026 GSC Newcomers Watch List prior to the season.
The freshman helped Trevecca extend the best start in program history. The Trojans are unbeaten through their first seven matches at 5-0-2 and have scored 18 goals this season, including 14 over their last five matches. The 18 goals this season is just three short of the 21 they scored last year.
Jones is the third Trojan to earn a GSC weekly award this season. Freshman defender Haden Brown and sophomore goalkeeper Hunter Walker were named GSC Defender and Goalkeeper of the Week, respectively, for the week ending Sept. 6.
NEXT FOR THE TROJANS
Trevecca remains home Wednesday, Sept. 23, when longtime rival Lee University visits the Trojan Soccer Complex for Gulf South Conference play. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
Wednesday's match is the 14th documented meeting between Trevecca and Lee in a series that dates to Oct. 16, 1991.
The Flames lead the all-time series 8-1-4. Seven of the first nine meetings between the programs were played from 1991 through 2004 before the series resumed in 2016.
Trevecca has changed the direction of the series in the last two meetings. The Trojans earned their first victory over Lee with a 1-0 win at the Trojan Soccer Complex in 2024 before going to Cleveland and playing the Flames to a 0-0 draw in 2025.
The results give Trevecca a two-match unbeaten streak against Lee entering Wednesday's meeting. The Trojans have not allowed a goal to the Flames during the streak.
Lee was selected seventh in the 2026 GSC Preseason Coaches' Poll with 51 points, one spot ahead of Trevecca, which was picked eighth with 42 points.
Trevecca enters Wednesday unbeaten at 5-0-2 overall and 1-0-2 in the GSC.
Live stats and live stream links for Wednesday's match are waiting on the Trevecca men's soccer schedule page at www.tnutrojans.com.
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