GREENWOOD, IN – Hanover College’s Enrico Franchini (Sao Paulo, Brazil/Batesville) and Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Nick Kowalkowski (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln-Way) have been named the 2015 Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference men’s soccer Offensive and Defensive Most Valuable Players. Franchini helped guide the Panthers to a share of the school’s first HCAC title, while Kowalkowski helped the Engineers earn a share of the regular season title and the school’s third-straight HCAC tournament title.
Franchini led the Hanover offense this season, leading the conference in points and goals. The junior forward scored 15 goals and totaled 31 points to lead the Panthers scoring attack. In conference matches, Franchini led the league with nine goals and 18 points scored in nine matches.
Kowalkowski earned Defensive MVP for his efforts this fall. The junior defender anchored a defensive unit that allowed a conference-best five goals in nine conference matches. The Rose-Hulman defense also registered six shutouts in conference play and 10 shutouts overall this season.
Rose-Hulman’s Erik Eksten (Crown Point, Ind./H.S.) has been selected as the 2015 HCAC Freshman of the Year. Eksten, a defender for the Engineers, assisted the top rated defense in the HCAC all season. The freshman also contributed three goals and an assist for the Engineers.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology’s Sean Helliwell has been named the 2015 HCAC Coach of the Year, earning his sixth honor as the head man for the Engineers. Helliwell has led Rose-Hulman to a 13-2-5 record this season, earning the school’s fifth HCAC regular season and tournament crown.
Eleven players join Franchini and Kowalkowski as First-Team All-HCAC members. Those players include Earlham’s Jacob Ebbs (Sr., Brookline, Mass.) and Nicholas Dey (So., Newport News, Va.), Hanover’s Rafael Di Maio (Jr., Sao Paulo, Brazil) and Alex McSweeney (Jr., Louisville, Ky.), Rose-Hulman’s Ben Lyon (Jr., Westfield, Ind.), Mike Smyser (Sr., Grand Rapids, Mich.), Austin Webb (So., West Lafayette, Ind.), Dieter Schultz (Sr., Dyer, Ind.), and Turner Perkins (So., Danville, Ind.), and Transylvania’s Tate Spivey (Sr., Harrodsburg, Ky.), and Riley Calhoon (So., Lexington, Ky.).
All teams are voted and selected by the 10 conference head coaches.
Offensive Most Valuable Player: Enrico Franchini, Hanover College
Defensive Most Valuable Player: Nick Kowalkowski, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Freshman of the Year: Erik Eksten, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Coach of the Year: Sean Helliwell, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
First Team All-HCAC
|
Nicholas Dey |
Earlham |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Newport News, Va. |
|
Jacob Ebbs |
Earlham |
Senior |
Midfield |
Brookline, Mass. |
|
Rafael Di Maio |
Hanover |
Junior |
Goalkeeper |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
|
Alex McSweeney |
Hanover |
Junior |
Back |
Louisville, Ky. |
|
Enrico Franchini |
Hanover |
Junior |
Forward |
Sao Paulo, Brazil |
|
Nick Kowalkowski |
Rose-Hulman |
Junior |
Back |
New Lenox, Ill. |
|
Mike Smyser |
Rose-Hulman |
Senior |
Back |
Grand Rapids, Mich. |
|
Ben Lyon |
Rose-Hulman |
Junior |
Forward |
Westfield, Ind. |
|
Austin Webb |
Rose-Hulman |
Sophomore |
Forward |
West Lafayette, Ind. |
|
Dieter Schultz |
Rose-Hulman |
Senior |
Midfield |
Dyer, Ind. |
|
Turner Perkins |
Rose-Hulman |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Danville, Ind. |
|
Tate Spivey |
Transylvania |
Senior |
Back |
Harrodsburg, Ky. |
|
Riley Calhoon |
Transylvania |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Lexington, Ky. |
Second Team All-HCAC
|
TiQi Brown |
Earlham |
Senior |
Back |
Turlok, Calif. |
|
Mussa Ibrahim |
Earlham |
Senior |
Midfield |
Ann Arbor, Mich. |
|
Austin Storm |
Franklin |
Sophomore |
Back |
Greenwood, Ind. |
|
Austin Fundenberger |
Franklin |
Senior |
Forward |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
|
Dominic Isadore |
Hanover |
Sophomore |
Forward |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
|
Matt Eldridge |
Hanover |
Junior |
Midfield |
Louisville, Ky. |
|
Matthew Hand |
Hanover |
Senior |
Midfield |
Auckland, New Zealand |
|
Tod Oram |
Manchester |
Sophomore |
Forward |
Crown Point, Ind. |
|
Tyler Schumann |
Mount St. Joseph |
Junior |
Back |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
|
Erik Eksten |
Rose-Hulman |
Freshman |
Back |
Crown Point, Ind. |
|
Alex Jansen |
Rose-Hulman |
Junior |
Midfield |
Johnsburg, Ill. |
|
Cody Waltrip |
Transylvania |
Senior |
Goalkeeper |
Louisville, Ky. |
|
Blake Chidester |
Transylvania |
Junior |
Forward |
Brentwood, Tenn. |
Honorable Mention All-HCAC
|
Guimps Pierre |
Anderson |
Junior |
Midfield |
Norwalk, Conn. |
|
Brian Stout |
Anderson |
Sophomore |
Back |
Ypsilanti, Mich. |
|
Ryan Johnson-Evers |
Bluffton |
Senior |
Back |
Muskego, Wis. |
|
Matt Hardman-Zimmerman |
Bluffton |
Junior |
Goalkeeper |
Forest City, Penn. |
|
Blayne Robbins |
Defiance |
Senior |
Back |
Galva, Ill. |
|
Nick Kleptz |
Defiance |
Sophomore |
Back |
Troy, Ohio |
|
Nicola Manni |
Earlham |
Freshman |
Goalkeeper |
Vandalia, Ohio |
|
Mason Krupa |
Franklin |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Indianapolis, Ind. |
|
Zach Barnes |
Hanover |
Sophomore |
Back |
Seymour, Ind. |
|
Julio Luevano |
Manchester |
Senior |
Back |
Aguascalientes, Mexico |
|
Zach Kuebler |
Mount St. Joseph |
Junior |
Back |
Hilliard, Ohio |
|
Trevor Bednarek |
Rose-Hulman |
Sophomore |
Back |
Muskego, Wis. |
|
Jacob Gantt |
Transylvania |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Louisville, Ky. |
HCAC All-Sportsmanship Team
|
Jon King |
Anderson |
Senior |
Midfield |
Germantown, Ohio |
|
Appiah Adubofour |
Bluffton |
Senior |
Midfield |
Kumasi, Ghana |
|
Brian Kurtz |
Defiance |
Junior |
Midfield |
Sandusky, Ohio |
|
Pelle Tracey |
Earlham |
Junior |
Midfield |
Shepherdstown, W.V. |
|
Zach Shoufler |
Franklin |
Senior |
Back |
Fortville, Ind. |
|
Jace Gentil |
Hanover |
Junior |
Forward |
Wadesville, Ind. |
|
Colin Singer |
Manchester |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Columbus, Ind. |
|
Michael Huber |
Mount St. Joseph |
Sophomore |
Back |
New Richmond, Ohio |
|
Charles Lynch |
Rose-Hulman |
Freshman |
Midfield |
Oviedo, Fla. |
|
Jacob Gantt |
Transylvania |
Sophomore |
Midfield |
Louisville, Ky. |