BY FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. – Fort Hays State Men’s Soccer had eight players named to the All-GAC Team for the 2020-21 spring season on Friday (Apr. 9). Blake Arndt is the Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, while the Tigers received four first-team, three second-team, and one honorable mention selection.
Coaches of the seven teams voted Arndt the top offensive player in the conference. He finished the six-game spring regular season slate with five goals. He scored goals in four of the six matches, including a two-goal match against Newman University to start the spring. He led the Tigers in points over the six games leading up to the GAC Tournament with 10. He also adds All-GAC First Team honors to the Offensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year selections.
Also earning first-team honors were Kevin Black in the midfield, Alec Bevis at defender, and Kieran Brown at goalkeeper. Black enters the GAC Tournament with three goals and two assists, generating eight points over six matches. Bevis remains one of the top defenders in the conference after earning GAC Freshman of the Year honors back in 2019. He helped the Tiger defense post three shutouts in six contests and produce a team goals against average of 0.83. Brown led the GAC in goals against average (0.52) and save percentage (.880). Among the NCAA Division II ranks, Brown ranks eighth in save percentage and 16th in goals against average for teams playing a regular season.
Second-team honors go to midfielders Taisei Arima and Nico Cortes and defender Antonio De La Torre. Arima played in five of six matches so far this spring and netted two goals with one assist. He ranks fourth on the team in scoring with five points. Cortes has been an ironman for the Tigers in the midfield playing all 560 possible minutes in the spring, while providing a steadying presence in the middle of the field. De La Torre has been on the pitch in all six matches and has two goals and two assists to his credit this spring, good for six points which ranks third on the team.
Jonathan Gammelvind received an honorable mention selection at defender. He played all but 17 minutes of action in the spring and provided one assist on a goal so far this spring.
Below is the All-GAC Men’s Soccer Team for the 2020-21 spring season.
2020-21 SPRING GAC/MIAA MEN’S SOCCER AWARDS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
FORT HAYS STATE – #9 Blake Arndt, F, So., Wichita Kansas
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
ROGERS STATE – #6 Michael Turner, Sr., Romford England
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR
FORT HAYS STATE – #9 Blake Arndt, F, So., Wichita Kansas
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #11 Orlando Castro, F., Dallas, Texas
COACH OF THE YEAR
ROGERS STATE – Derek Larkin
All-GAC First Team
F – FORT HAYS STATE – #9 Blake Arndt, So., Wichita, Kansas
F – NEWMAN – #9 Ignacio Lerech, Jr., Tucuman, Argentina
F – OUACHITA – #10 David Stankovic, So., Wylie, Texas
F – ROGERS STATE – #10 Jordan Watson, Sr., London England
M – FORT HAYS STATE – #21 Kevin Black, Fr., Wichita, Kansas
M – ROGERS STATE – #7 Callum Hubble, Sr., Chelmsford England
M – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #8 Angel Lopez, Jr., The Colony, Texas
M – NORTHEASTERN STATE – #4 Sam Scarth, So., Liverpool, England
D – FORT HAYS STATE – #5 Alec Bevis, So., Wichita, Kansas
D – NORTHEASTERN STATE – #15 James Doyle, Sr., Merseyside, England
D – HARDING – #9 Jack Savage, D, Jr., Carrollton Texas
D – ROGERS STATE – #6 Michael Turner, Sr., Romford England
GK – FORT HAYS STATE – #1 Kieran Brown, So., Kettering, Australia
All-GAC Second Team
F – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #18 Nathaniel Mederos, Jr., Asuncion, Paraguay
F – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #20 Juan Rodarte, So., Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
F – ROGERS STATE – #8 Jaxon Pitt, Sr., Edmond Oklahoma
F – NORTHEASTERN STATE – #19 Flynn Semmerling, Jr., Hamburg, Germany
M – FORT HAYS STATE – #10 Taisei Arima, Fr., Machida, Japan
M – FORT HAYS STATE – #6 Nico Cortes, Fr., Santiago, Chile
M – ROGERS STATE – #20 Luke Morgan, So., Nottingshamshire England
M – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #25 Eric Romero, So., Dallas, Texas
D – FORT HAYS STATE – #2 Antonio De La Torre, Sr., Dodge City, Kansas
D – ROGERS STATE – #24 Sebastian Hernandez, So., Broken Arrow Oklahoma
D – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #2 Esteban Ramirez, Fr., Dallas, Texas
D – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #5 Daniel Valdez, Fr., Deer Creek, Oklahoma
GK – ROGERS STATE – #0 Dillon Dean, Sr., Mustang Oklahoma
Honorable Mention All-GAC
M – OUACHITA – #23 Ebon Jordan, Fr., Cedar Hill, Texas
M – HARDING – #7 Georgios Petousis, MF, So., Asini, Greece
M – NORTHEASTERN STATE – #8 Luis Soler, Jr., Bogota, Colombia
M – OUACHITA – #6 Ryan Wilson, Sr., Rockwall, Texas
D – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #3 Federico Anzoletti, Jr., Chioggia, Italy
D – OUACHITA – #12 Kobe Coleman, Jr., Georgetown, Texas
D – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #12 Alexandre Da Silva, Sr., Sao Paulo, Brazil
D – FORT HAYS STATE – #3 Jonathan Gammelvind, Fr., Silkeborg, Denmark
D – HARDING – #4 Jaelen Jackson, D, Jr., Brampton Ontario, Canada
D – NORTHEASTERN STATE – #6 Ryan McCully, Jr., Wichita, Kansas
D – NEWMAN – # 20 Cole Thompson, So., Haysville, Kansas
GK – NEWMAN – #1 Jean Claude Consol, Sr., Aosta, Italy
GK – OUACHITA – #1 Matt Day, Jr., Texarkana, Texas
GK – SOUTHERN NAZARENE – #1 Ramiro Diez, Jr., Madrid, Spain