INDIANAPOLIS – Rockhurst University senior forward Kaleb Jackson, classmate Logan Feldmann and head coach Tony Tocco, along with Bellarmine University freshman defender Eddie Williamson and Maryville University freshman midfielder JD Sohn have garnered major postseason honors for the 2017 Great Lakes Valley Conference Men's Soccer season, it was announced by the league office Thursday evening. Jackson was voted by the league coaches as GLVC Offensive Player of the Year, while the Hawks’ Feldman was picked as the Defensive Player of the Year and Tocco garnered Coach of the Year accolades. The Knight’s Sohn and Saints’ Williamson shared Freshman of the Year recognition. A total of 34 standouts were named to the 2017 All-Conference Teams. The annual awards were presented Thursday at a reception on the eve of the GLVC Championship Tournament.
Jackson becomes just the second two-time and back-to-back Offensive Player of the Year in league history, as former GLVC member Northern Kentucky was the first school with such honors thanks to three-time winner Steven Beattie in 2008, 2009 and 2010. Jackson posted a GLVC-best 28 points, 2.00 points per game and 11 goals in Conference contests. He also finished second in goals per game (0.79) while third in shots (48) and assists (six). Additionally, the senior was named Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18 and earned a spot on the All-GLVC First Team for the third-straight season.
Feldmann becomes Rockhurst’s fifth player to earn postseason defensive distinction in men’s soccer and the third in a row, as Paul Dean was the 2015 choice and Connor Mullen was last season’s pick. Chad Becker (2008) and Ryan Bass (2011) were the first two. The Wentzville, Missouri, product ranked second in the league during GLVC games in goals against average (0.63), shutouts (six) and shutouts per game (0.43), while compiling the sixth-best save percentage (.769). The senior started all 14 games played and was also picked for the All-GLVC First Team.
With his third postseason honor in a row, Tocco becomes a GLVC-best six-time Coach of the Year. He was previously recognized by his GLVC coaching peers in 2008, 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016. In this year’s regular season finale, the 46-year coaching veteran tied the record for all-time career victories among intercollegiate men’s soccer coaches with 693. He led his squad to their sixth GLVC regular season crown and the top seed in the postseason tournament. Additionally, Rockhurst ranked as high as No. 2 in Week 7 of the United Soccer Coaches Poll, though they finished the year 13-2-2 overall and 12-1-1 after a disappointing loss in the GLVC quarterfinals. Tocco and his Hawks will await NCAA seeding next week for a second chance at the 2017 campaign. One silver lining to the season’s end, however, was the 10 All-GLVC honorees he mentored as unanimous selection in senior midfielder Adam Michel joined Jackson and Feldmann on the First Team, along with senior midfielder Connor Mullen, sophomore defender Luca Mastrantonio (an United Soccer Coaches national player of the week on Oct. 17), and graduate defender Fillipo Santandrea. Second-team honors came for junior defender Swann Vincent and junior forward Umoh Ufot, while senior midfielder Ben McDonald and junior defender Sal Caruso picked up third-team laurels.
For the third time in GLVC history, two newcomers were tabbed as the best freshmen in the league. The first time was in 2000 and again in 2002. Williamson started all 17 games this season on Bellarmine’s backline, helping hold opponents to 171 shots with just 10.1 allowed per game, and 62 corners. In addition, he added two goals in 1464 minutes of action and was part of the Knights (11-5-1, 9-4-1 GLVC) earning a program-record nine Conference wins and going unbeaten on their home field at 9-0. The Knights also earned the No. 5 seed in the GLVC Tournament. Sohn started 10 of 17 games this season in the midfield, including the last six games played for Maryville (12-3-2, 10-2-2 GLVC). He tallied seven goals and two assists for 16 points. With the Quincy, Illinois, native in the lineup, the Saints were receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll nearly every week and were ranked as high as No. 19 in Week 2. Maryville also earned a berth to the GLVC Tournament for the second consecutive season with the No. 2 seed and its 10 league wins is the most in program history during the Division II era.
The GLVC coaches voted 32 others to one of three All-Conference teams that were also released on Thursday.
Rockhurst earned a league-best 10 honorees of the 34 All-Conference selections, while three teams boasted four winners, including Indianapolis, Lewis and Maryville. Five other teams followed with two honorees apiece to include Drury, Missouri S&T, Bellarmine, Illinois Springfield and Southern Indiana. Missouri-St. Louis and UW-Parkside rounded out the list of honorees with one each.
Joining the six Hawks on the First Team was Drury senior midfielder Charles Gulley, UIndy senior defender David Kurz, Lewis senior forward Nico Mueller (an United Coaches national player of the week on Oct. 24), S&T senior forward Felipe Andrade and UMSL senior forward Pat Ries were the others recognized with first-team distinction.
The league also recognized 16 GLVC James R. Spalding Sportsmanship Award honorees and one Team award winner: Bellarmine. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These individuals must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The honorees are now eligible to become one of their school’s two Spalding Sportsmanship Award winners, which will be announced at the end of the academic year.
A complete list of the three All-Conference Teams and major postseason award winners follows below.
2017 GLVC MEN’S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS & POSTSEASON HONORS
GLVC Offensive Player of the Year
Kaleb Jackson, F, Sr., RU
GLVC Defensive Player of the Year
Logan Feldmann, GK, Sr., RU
GLVC co-Freshmen of the Year
Eddie Williamson, B, Fr., BU
JD Sohn, MF, Fr., MU
GLVC Coach of the Year
Tony Tocco, RU
FIRST TEAM
Charles Guelly, MF, Sr., DU
David Kurz, B, Sr., UINDY
Nico Mueller, F, Sr., LEWIS
Felipe Andrade, F, Sr., S&T
Pat Ries, F, Sr., UMSL
Kaleb Jackson, F, Sr., RU
Adam Michel, MF, Sr., RU#
Connor Mullen, MF, Sr., RU
Luca Mastrantonio, B, So., RU
Fillippo Santandrea, B, Gr., RU
Logan Feldmann, GK, Sr., RU
#UNANIMOUS SELECTION
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SECOND TEAM
Callum Southern, MF, Sr., BU
Rhys Wallace, B, Jr., UIS
Josh Ling, MF, Sr., UINDY
James Jenkins, F, So., UINDY
Devon Amoo-Mensah, B, Jr., LEWIS
Pontus Gitselov, MF, So., MU
Christian Kiaersgaard, GK, Jr., MU
Swann Vincent, B, Jr., RU
Umoh Ufot, F, Jr., RU
Eric Ramirez, F, So., USI
Leki Prpa, MF, So., UWP
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THIRD TEAM
Tomas Bernedo, F, So., BU
Ben Bruce, F, Sr., DU
Jack Coombes, B, Sr., UIS
Javier Steinwascher, F, So., UINDY
Claude Kameni, B, So., LEWIS
Timm Adler, MF, So., LEWIS
Iwan Webster, B, Fr., MU
Joergen Pettersen, MF, So., MU
David Murphy, MF, Jr., S&T
Ben McDonald, MF, Sr., RU
Sal Caruso, B, Jr., RU
Adam Zehme, GK, Sr., USI
*extra member due to tie
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2017 GLVC MEN’S SOCCER JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD NOMINEES
Nathan Jones, BU
Matt Wagoner, DU
Naba Alzhryi, UIS
David Kurz, UINDY
Devon Ammo Mensah, LEWIS
Billy Stimac, MU
Ariel Cardozo, MCK
Aaron Hohenstein, S&T
Pat Ries, UMSL
Kyle Fraser, QU
Filippo Santandrea, RU
Kyle Richardville, USI
Ian McCluskey, TSU
Nate Kitchell, UWP
Chris Cotton, WJC
2017 GLVC MEN’S SOCCER JAMES R. SPALDING SPORTSMANSHIP TEAM AWARD
Bellarmine