Parts of this story courtesy of Trinity University Sports Information
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference men's soccer student-athletes have been elected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III All-America Team.
Trinity University's Tom Carwile, Chad Margotta and Christian Sakshaug, along with Colorado College's Max Grossenbacher, were among the 49 athletes selected.
Carwile and Margotta, both seniors, were named to the respective All-America First and Second Teams. Sakshaug, a first-year Trinity player, and Grossenbacher, a CC senior, were selected for the All-America Third Team. Each player was earlier named to the NSCAA All-West Region First Team, and to the All-Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC) Team.
All three Trinity players contributed to a successful 22-3-0 season. Trinity, led by 25th-year Head Coach Paul McGinlay, Trinity won its 18th SCAC Championship, and advanced to the NCAA Playoffs for the 19th time. The Tigers fought their way to the NCAA quarterfinals for the third straight year, and the 10th overall.
Grossenbacher led a CC attack that averaged 2.5 goals per game, while firing off 19.4 shots per game. Colorado College earned a spot in the SCAC championship game for the second consecutive year, but fell to Trinity, 1-0. CC, under the leadership of first-year Head Coach Scott Palguta, posted a record of 14-3-3, including 11-1-2 in SCAC play.
Carwile is now a two-time NSCAA All-American, as the defender was tabbed for the 2014 Second Team. The 2015 SCAC Defensive Player of the Year was the anchor of the Tiger defense, which claimed 18 clean-sheet games during the campaign. The versatile Carwile was also an offensive threat, as he scored nine goals, tying for the team lead, and firing in seven game-winners. He also dished out an assist and posted 19 points.
Margotta was the Tigers lead goalkeeper, and was responsible for 14 of Trinity's shutout victories. He yielded only nine goals over 25 games, for a .38 GAA, while making 89 saves.
Sakshaug made a tremendous impact in his first season as a Trinity Tiger. The midfielder tied his teammate Carwile for the lead in scoring, with nine goals. Sakshaug, who also tied for the team lead with seven assists, was the leader in points, chalking up 25 during the season. Conference coaches took notice of Sakshaug, as he was named the SCAC Newcomer of the Year.
Grossenbacher earned his first NSCAA All-American honor this year, and had a successful season on the field. He tied Carwile and Sakshaug for the conference lead with nine goals, while firing off a league-high 98 shots. He also led all players with nine assists and 27 points.
The four student-athletes will be honored at the 2016 NSCAA Convention in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 16.
