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Lou Groce, Director of Media and Information, 920-229-8157
GRINNELL, Iowa – The Midwest Conference (MWC) Men’s Soccer All-Conference team has been announced on Friday and Lake Forest College’s John Cappuccitti and Knox College’s Phelipe Graske Player of the Year honors.
Cappuccitti led the Foresters to the MWC regular season title this fall and has been honored as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year. The junior scored 11 goals on the season and finished with 29 points. Seven of those goals game in conference action to lead the league, while his seven assists also led the conference. Cappuccitti’s two game-winning goals were tied for second in the conference.
Graske earned the Defensive Player of the Year after the Prairie Fire defender led Knox to an unbeaten regular season. The junior led a defense that allowed just five goals in conference action and a league low .56 goals against average. Knox also produced four shutouts during the conference slate.
St. Norbert College’s Ben Prange has been honored as the Newcomer of the Year. Prange scored four goals and three assists in conference action and totaled 12 goals on the season and 28 points. The freshman also tied with teammate Tyler Kassube for the league-lead with five game-winning goals over the season. Prange and Kassube both earned First Team All-MWC honors.
Grinnell College head coach Brian Jaworski was named the league’s Coach of the Year after he led the Pioneers back to the MWC Tournament for the first time since 2012. Grinnell’s 11 wins on the season were its highest win total since 2008.
Beloit College head coach Tim Schmiechen and his Buccaneer squad were honored with the league’s Sportsmanship Award, while Lake Forest junior Nipun Chauhan was honored with the Elite 20 Award. Cahuhan is a finance major.
The four MWC Tournament qualifiers dominated the All-MWC squad, accounting for 16 of the 22 honorees. Lake Forest and St. Norbert both had three First Team members and five all-conference performers overall. Grinnell had two members of both First and Second Teams, while Knox had two First Team picks. Lawrence University was the only other program to have multiple all-conference selections as Michael Deremo and Dominic Pasquesi were both Second Team honorees.
Below is the complete list of the 2016 All-Conference Team.
| Coach of the Year |
|
|
|
| Brian Jaworski |
|
|
Grinnell |
| Offensive Player of the Year |
|
|
|
| John Cappuccitti |
M |
Jr. |
Lake Forest |
| Defensive Player of the Year |
|
|
|
| Phelipe Graske |
M |
Jr. |
Knox |
| Newcomer of the Year |
|
|
|
| Ben Prange |
M/F |
Fr. |
St. Norbert |
| Elite 20 Award Winner |
|
|
|
| Nipun Chauhan |
F |
Jr. |
Lake Forest |
| Sportsmanship Award |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Beloit |
| First Team |
|
|
|
| Nick Brule |
A |
Sr. |
Grinnell |
| John Cappuccitti |
A |
Jr. |
Lake Forest |
| Antonio DiMarco |
A |
Jr. |
Grinnell |
| Tyler Kassube |
A |
Sr. |
St. Norbert |
| Ben Prange |
A |
Fr. |
St. Norbert |
| Ellis Rutilli |
A |
Sr. |
Lake Forest |
| Phelipe Graske |
D |
Jr. |
Knox |
| Elyas Ingram |
D |
Jr. |
Lake Forest |
| Rocky Plaza |
D |
So. |
Knox |
| Joey Spera |
D |
Jr. |
St. Norbert |
| Major May |
GK |
Sr. |
Grinnell |
| Second Team |
|
|
|
| Gaston Aubert |
A |
So. |
Lake Forest |
| Facundo Benavidez |
A |
Fr. |
Cornell |
| Michael Deremo |
A |
Sr. |
Lawrence |
| Brad Dulee |
A |
Sr. |
Monmouth |
| Sam Lamers |
A |
Sr. |
St. Norbert |
| Isaiah Turner-Wyatt |
A |
Sr. |
Beloit |
| Colin Jackson |
D |
Sr. |
Lake Forest |
| Roger Mies |
D |
Jr. |
Illinois College |
| Dominic Pasquesi |
D |
Sr. |
Lawrence |
| Thomas Pflipsen |
D |
Fr. |
Grinnell |
| Josh Koleske |
GK |
Fr. |
St. Norbert |