Men’s Soccer All Conference Teams Announced

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – After sharing the SoCon regular-season title, ETSU and UNCG claimed three of the four individual awards including Player of the Year, Coach of the Year, and Freshman of the Year. UNCG’s Yoshiya Okawa earned Player of the Year, and Issah Haruna was tabbed Freshman of the Year. ETSU’s Allen Vital was selected as the Coach of the Year. Furman’s Aaron Salinas rounded out the individual awards as the Goalkeeper of the Year. The Spartans, picked to finish fifth this season in the preseason poll, went 10-2-4 (3-1-1 SoCon) to garner their third regular season title in the last four years. ETSU was picked first in the poll and won their second consecutive regular season championship.
 
The league’s six coaches also named two all-conference teams and an all-freshman squad. This season’s all-conference first and second teams include 11 student athletes, the all-freshman team has 12 student-athletes due to a tie in the voting. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players or themselves.
 

Furman led all squads earning 10 selections on the postseason teams, including four players on the all-conference first team. UNCG featured eight total selections, while ETSU, Mercer, and Wofford followed with five selections each. VMI rounded out the squads with one student athlete represented.

Okawa led UNCG offensively this season, contributing a total of 20 points over the course of 15 games. The Tokyo, Japan, native scored eight goals, three of which were game-winning, and added four assists, while starting 12 games for the Spartans. The senior midfielder led the SoCon in points (20) and goals (8) scored this season and was tied for first in game-winning goals (3).
 
Salinas played over 1200 minutes in goal for the Paladins this season, starting in 14 of 16 games. The Grand Prairie, Texas, product averaged 1.08 goals against this season, with 35 total saves for a save percentage of 70 percent. The sophomore also logged three shutouts this season against Davidson, Presbyterian, and Wofford.

Issah, who is also an all-freshman and All-SoCon second-team selection, recorded nine points on three goals and three assists. The midfielder from Bolgatanga, Ghana, started in 11 of his 15 appearances for the Spartans.

ETSU’s Vital was tabbed the league’s Coach of the Year. Vital led ETSU to a 5-6-4 overall record and a 3-1-1 conference record in his first season as head coach for the Buccaneers, whose co-regular season championship is their second consecutive title.

ETSU defender Louie Salkeld earned a spot on the second team. Salkeld tallied six points on one goal and four assists. Midfielders Oliver Einarsson, Ulysses Hendriks, and Ingvar Kolbjornsen rounded out the ETSU players earning postseason honors, with each earning spots on the all-freshman team.

Furman had ten selections this season, with forward Christian Kraus and defenders Ivan Agyaakwah and Slade Starnes joining Aaron Salinas on the first team. Forwards Wilfer Bustamante and Lloyd-Wamu Snell as well as midfielder Luke Hutzell all earned a spot on the second team. Bustamante, Hutzell, and defender Ryan Wagner clinched spots on the all-freshman team. Kraus registered five goals and three assists for a team-leading 13 points, while Agyaakwah added 11 points on four goals and three assists for the Paladins this season. Starnes concluded the season with one goal and four assists to contribute six points. Bustamante and Wamu-Snell both scored four goals on the season, with Bustamante logging an assist and two Player of the Week wins. Wamu-Snell got two assists while Hutzell was credited with three. The Paladins earned the No. 4 seed in the SoCon Championship.
 
Mercer had five selections this season as midfielder Carlos Santamaria and defender Sekou Agard were selected to the first team. Forward Barzee Blama and goalkeeper Trevor McMullen joined the second team. Forward Aaron Pondeca was voted to the all-freshman team. Santamaria racked up 13 points this season on three goals and a league-leading seven assists, while Agard finished the season with 10 points on five goals. Blama scored five goals and dished out two assists for 12 points this year while McMullen lead the conference and was tied for third in the NCAA with eight shutouts this season.
 
UNCG forward Arnaud Tattevin and midfielder Jack Birch join Okawa on the first team. Forward Enzo Dovlo, midfielder Issah Haruna, and defender Daniel Longo earned second-team all-conference distinction. Haruna and defender Mohammed Sumaila earned a place on the all-freshman squad. Tattevin contributed 16 points on seven goals and two assists while Birch logged two goals and two assists. Dovlo had five goals and four assists this season, Haruna had three goals and three assists, and Longo scored a goal and made one assist. The Spartans will be the No. 1 seed in the SoCon Championship.
 
VMI’s forward Anthony Huang was voted to the all-freshman squad after collecting 14 points during the season off four goals and six assists.

 
Terrier midfielder Paul Jones represents Wofford on the all-conference first team. Wofford had two players earn spots on the second team, and two earn spots on the all-freshman team. Midfielder Jakob Andersson and defender Bryce Peacock earned second-team honors. Andersson tallied five assists this season and Peacock scored a goal. Goalkeeper Leo Ledin and midfielder Kalle Rahbek rounded out the all-freshman team. The Terriers went 7-6-2 and 3-2-0 in the SoCon to earn the No. 3 seed.
 
No. 4 seed Furman will play No. 5 seed Mercer in the SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship quarterfinals on Friday, Nov. 8, at 7 p.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina, while No. 3 seed Wofford and No. 6 seed VMI play the same day at 2 p.m. in Johnson City, Tennessee. No. 1 seed UNCG will play the winner of Furman and Mercer and No. 2 seed ETSU will play the winner of Wofford and VMI. The semifinal matches will take place on Sunday, Nov. 10, with both matches scheduled for 2 p.m.

The championship match will take place on Saturday, Nov. 16, or Sunday, Nov. 17, at the highest remaining seed. The tournament winner earns the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship.

 
2024 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team 
Player of the Year - Yoshiya Okawa, Sr., MF, UNCG

Goalkeeper of the Year - Aaron Salinas, So., Furman

Coach of the Year - Allen Vital, ETSU

Freshman of the Year - Issah Haruna, MF, UNCG

First Team

F - Gabriel Ramos, ETSU

F - Christian Kraus, Furman

F - Arnaud Tattevin, UNCG

MF - Carlos Santamaria, Mercer

MF - Jack Birch, UNCG

MF - Yoshiya Okawa, UNCG

MF - Paul Jones, Wofford

D - Ivan Agyaakwah, Furman

D - Slade Starnes, Furman

D - Sekou Agard, Mercer

GK - Aaron Salinas, Furman

Second Team

F - Wilfer Bustamante, Furman

F -  Lloyd Wamu Snell, Furman

F - Barzee Blama, Mercer

F - Enzo Dovlo, UNCG

MF - Luke Hutzell, Furman

MF - Issah Haruna, UNCG

MF - Jakob Andersson, Wofford

D - Louie Salkeld, ETSU

D - Daniel Longo, UNCG

D - Bryce Peacock, Wofford

GK - Trevor McMullen, Mercer

All-Freshman

Oliver Einarsson, MF, ETSU

Ulysses Hendriks, MF, ETSU

Ingvar Kolbjornsen, MF, ETSU

Wilfer Bustamante, F, Furman

Luke Hutzell, MF, Furman

Ryan Wagner, D, Furman

Aaron Pondeca, F, Mercer

Issah Haruna, MF, UNCG

Mohammed Sumaila, D, UNCG

Anthony Huang, F, VMI

Leo Ledin, GK, Wofford

Kalle Rahbek, MF, Wofford