KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s soccer student-athletes have been elected to the United Soccer Coaches Division III All-American Team. Full release
Trinity University’s Brady Johnston, Austin Michaelis and Quentin Van Der Lee, along with Texas Lutheran’s Luis Green, were among the 49 athletes selected.
Johnston was tabbed for the All-American First Team, Michaelis made the Second Team, while Van Der Lee and Green garnered Third Team honors. All four standouts were also selected for the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region First Team.
A versatile student-athlete, Johnston was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Year, the SCAC Tournament Offensive Most Valuable Player, and All-SCAC First Team. The junior scored nine goals and amassed four assists during the season, as well as registering three game-winners. Johnston also led Trinity's defense which allowed opponents just .77 goals per game, as the Tigers chalked up 10 shutouts in the process.
Michaelis became an All-American for the third year in a row. Last season, Michaelis was a Second Team All-American and was a First Team honoree in 2016. This season, Michaelis garnered All-Region and All-SCAC First Team kudos for the third consecutive occasion. He paced the Tigers with 12 goals, including four game-winners and sent four assists to his teammates. Michaelis also led the squad with 28 points. The senior finished his career with 43 goals and 106 points - marks good enough for seventh and eighth all-time in the Trinity record books.
Van Der Lee also made the All-SCAC First Team and the All-Tournament Team. The sophomore posted four goals and had six assists during the campaign, as well as being a key player for the Tigers' taut defense.
All three Trinity players contributed to a successful 17-2-3 season. Trinity, led by 28th-year Head Coach Paul McGinlay, won its seventh consecutive SCAC Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the 22nd time.
Green’s cachet comes on the heels of an outstanding freshman campaign where he earned SCAC Offensive Player-of-the-Year and Newcomer of the Year honors after leading the conference in goals scored (18), points (38), shots (87) and game-winning goals (6). His OPOTY recognition marked the first time in conference history a freshman has taken home the award. Green is just the second Bulldog in program history to claim an All-American honor, joining Roger Gomez who was named NAIA Honorable Mention All-American in 1991. TLU, under the leadership of 13th-year Head Coach Eddie Salazar, posted an 11-8 overall record with a 9-6 mark in conference play.
The four student-athletes will be formally acknowledged for their accomplishments at the United Soccer Coaches All-America Ceremony & Reception on Jan. 12, 2019 at McCormick Place West Building in conjunction with the 2019 United Soccer Coaches Convention in Chicago.