Bridgeport, W.Va. – When the Mountain East Conference released the 2023 All-MEC Men's Soccer Teams on Friday afternoon, West Liberty University was represented by a program record of six athletes. The trio of Vitor Otsuka, Mark Donnelly, and Jasper Newton received All-MEC Second Team honors while Noah Underwood, Zachary Forehand, and Rhys Lewis were named All-MEC Honorable Mention. The pair of Newton and Forehand also garnered All-MEC Freshman Team honors.
Vitor Otsuka / Senior / Midfielder / Porto Alegre, Brazil / Carlisle (Va.) School
Otsuka was named to the All-MEC Second Team, marking the third all-conference honor of his career after previously garnering honorable mention recognition in 2020 and 2022. He led the 2023 Hilltopper team with 12 points by way of three goals and six assists during the regular season. Otsuka was also tied for second among the league leaders for most assists this year. He scored one game-winner, which happened to be the first goal of the season for WLU in a 4-0 upset of No. 12 Davis & Elkins.
Mark Donnelly / Senior / Midfielder / Belfast, Northern Ireland / St. Malachy's
Donnelly was named to the All-MEC Second Team, marking the first all-conference honor of his career. Entering the season with only one career goal, the team captain stepped up and led the offensive attack with four goals in 2023 to total eight points. He scored one game-winner, occurring in a non-conference match at California (PA) to push the Black & Gold to their best start to a season since the sport was reinstated in 2018.
Jasper Newton / Freshman / Defender / Stockport, England / Accrington Stanley
Newton was named to the All-MEC Second Team and All-MEC Freshman Team, marking the first all-conference honors of his career. The defender started all 17 regular season games in his first season on the hilltop and assisted on one goal, occurring in a home match against Notre Dame. Newton was a part of a strong back line that posted a program record of five shutouts and allowed two or more goals only four times all year.
Noah Underwood / Graduate Student / Goalkeeper / Belle, W.Va. / Riverside
Underwood was named an All-MEC Honorable Mention, marking the third all-conference honors of his career after previously garnering honorable mention recognition in 2021 and 2022. He ended the regular season tied for third in the conference with 67 saves total and is averaging 4.19 saves per game. As the best goalkeeper in program history, he continued to etch his name in the record books in 2023 as broke the school record for single-season shutouts with five and is on track to break the single-season goals-against average (1.06) and save percentage (0.798) records as the team enters the conference tournament. He entered the season as the school record holder and continued to build onto his career totals in shutouts (13), saves (323), goals-against average (2.020), and save percentage (0.705). He enters the MEC Men's Soccer Quarterfinal at Davis & Elkins only 11 saves away from tying the conference career record for saves (non-conference and conference matches).
Zachary Forehand / Freshman / Forward / McKinney, Texas / Allen
Forehand was named an All-MEC Honorable Mention and was also named to the All-MEC Freshman Team, marking the first all-conference honors of his career. The freshman appeared in all 17 matches in his first season on the hilltop, while also making eight starts. In his first two collegiate games he found the back of the net twice as he scored one goal in the upset of No. 12 Davis & Elkins and once more in a draw against Concord.
Rhys Lewis / Graduate Student / Defender / Huntington Beach, Calif. / Marina
Lewis was named an All-MEC Honorable Mention, marking his second all-conference honor after previously garnering All-MEC Freshman Team recognition in 2019. The defender scored his first career points in 2023, totaling five points off a pair of goals and one assist. His first career goal occurred as the game-winner in the October 1st home match against West Virginia Wesleyan. Lewis also played on one of the best back line defenses in program history as the team notched a school record five shutouts during the year and only allowed four games with the opponent scoring two or more goals.
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2023 All-MEC First Team
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Pos.
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Name
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Yr.
|
School
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GK
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Keegan Grant
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So.
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Concord
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|
GK
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Marc Torrado
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Sr.
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Charleston
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F
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Joao Belmudes
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So.
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Charleston
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|
F
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Sinasi Emre Deniz
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Sr.
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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|
F
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Mirai Sato
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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|
M
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Evans Armah
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Jr.
|
Notre Dame
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|
M
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Sam Newell
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So.
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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|
M
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Connor O'Reilly
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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|
M
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Lewis Redding
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Sr.
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Charleston
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|
D
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Kai Forsyth
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So.
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Concord
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D
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Juan Hermoso
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Jr.
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Charleston
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|
D
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Juan Pineda
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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|
D
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Franco Tradatti
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So.
|
Charleston
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|
2023 All-MEC Second Team
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Pos.
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Name
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Yr.
|
School
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|
GK
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Danilo Wilson
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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F
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Fabian Amhof
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Jr.
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Concord
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|
F
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Eduardo Barros
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Gr.
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Charleston
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F
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Shemar Daley
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Jr.
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Davis & Elkins
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F
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Vitor Otsuka
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Sr.
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West Liberty
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|
M
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Giorgos Diakos
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So.
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Charleston
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|
M
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Mark Donnelly
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Sr.
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West Liberty
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|
M
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Sahar Golov
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Fr.
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Davis & Elkins
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|
M
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Jose Suarez Monaco
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Fr.
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Charleston
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|
D
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Fran Anton Lopez
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Gr.
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Charleston
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D
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Allan Cuartas
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So.
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Davis & Elkins
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D
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Brogan Horniman
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Jr.
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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D
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Jasper Newton
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Fr.
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West Liberty
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D
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Jaime Razo
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Sr.
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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2023 All-MEC Honorable Mention
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Pos.
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Name
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Yr.
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School
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GK
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Noah Underwood
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Gr.
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West Liberty
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F
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Carlos Almeida
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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F
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Stafford Dowling
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Jr.
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Charleston
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F
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Zach Forehand
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Fr.
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West Liberty
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F
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Carlos Quintero
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So.
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Frostburg State
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|
F
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Ailton Silva
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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|
M
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Dominique Castano
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Jr.
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Davis & Elkins
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|
M
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Callum Cleary
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Jr.
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Notre Dame
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|
M
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Modou Faye
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Jr.
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Davis & Elkins
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|
M
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Elvis Gomez
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Jr.
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Concord
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|
M
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Dillon Rajkovic
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Fr.
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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|
D
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Mattia Bui
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So.
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Davis & Elkins
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|
D
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Caleb Dell
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Jr.
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Frostburg State
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|
D
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Rhys Lewis
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Gr.
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West Liberty
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D
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Jared Rimmer
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So.
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Notre Dame
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2023 All-MEC Freshman Team
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Pos.
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Name
|
School
|
|
M
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Will Couch
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Notre Dame
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|
F
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Max Evans
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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|
F
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Zach Forehand
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West Liberty
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M
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Sahar Golov
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Davis & Elkins
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|
F
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Jon-Michael Gordan
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Wheeling
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|
D
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Jasper Newton
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West Liberty
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M
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Dillon Rajkovic
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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M
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Jose Suarez Monaco
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Charleston
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GK
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Grant Wyles
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Davis & Elkins
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2023 MEC Awards
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Award
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Name
|
School
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Offensive Player of the Year
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Sinasi Emre Deniz
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West Virginia Wesleyan
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Defensive Player of the Year
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Marc Torrado
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Charleston
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Freshman of the Year
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Jose Suarez Monaco
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Charleston
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Coach of the Year
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Daniel Smee
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Charleston
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