Historic Season For Spalding, Highlights All-Conference Team
Spalding University's historic 2016 season highlights the SLIAC Men' Soccer All-Conference team. In addition to their first ever regular season conference title the Golden Eagles were honored on the All-Conference team by sweeping the SLIAC individual awards that include the Coach of the Year, Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, and Newcomer of the Year awards. Spalding is the first program to sweep all of the SLIAC individual awards since Fontbonne University did so in 2004. The Defensive Player of the Year award was first added in 2014, making Spalding the only program to win four major awards in the same season.
Spalding University head coach Adam Boyer guided the Golden Eagles to an undefeated conference record in the regular season, going 9-0. They are just the eighth program in SLIAC history to record a perfect conference record (no losses or ties). Boyer, in his fifth season at Spalding, led his team to an 11-6 overall record this season and their first ever SLIAC regular season title, making the program's second ever trip to the SLIAC Tournament. He is the first SLIAC Coach of the Year in Spalding men's soccer program history.
Spalding forward Osman Hussein was a large part of the historical season for the Golden Eagles, becoming the first player in program history to be named SLIAC Player of the Year. Hussein, a freshman from Louisville, Ky., finished the regular season with 11 goals and four assists for 26 total points. He added two game-winning goals this season and ranked second in the conference with nine goals during SLIAC play. Hussein was also named the SLIAC Newcomer of the Year and becomes just the second player in conference history to take home both Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year awards in the same season.
Joey Lesher takes home the Defensive Player of the Year award, becoming the first Golden Eagle to win the award. Lesher, a senior from Carmel, Ind., anchored the backline for Spalding and helped them finish with most team shutouts in the conference with six including five during conference play. Not only was Lesher a vital piece on defense but he added six goals while tying for the team lead with three game-winning goals.
In addition Principia College was awarded the SLIAC Team Sportsmanship Award. The team Sportsmanship Award, created in 2005, is given to the team whose players, coaches and fans best exhibit the principles of good sportsmanship. The SLIAC also recognizes one individual from each team, selected by his coach and teammates, who throughout the season best displays the ideals of sportsmanship. Those honored on the SLIAC All-Sportsmanship Team are: Nate Kinnision, from Blackburn College; Shay Garner, from Fontbonne University; Jon Adams, from Greenville College; Max Trautman, from Iowa Wesleyan University; Drake Hardin, from MacMurray College; Ross Johnson, from Principia College; Leslie Chu, from Spalding University; Coale Dolbert, from Webster University; and David Immanuel, from Westminster College. Below is a full list of the 2016 SLIAC Men's Soccer All-Conference teams and award winners.
| First Team | ||||||||
| Name | Pos | School | Yr | Hometown/High School | ||||
| Osman Hussein |
F | Spalding | Fr | Louisville, Ky./Waggner |
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| Drake Trease |
F | Westminster | Sr | Nixa, Mo./Nixa |
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| Austin Willenbrock |
F | Fontbonne |
Sr | Warren, Mich./De La Salle |
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| Edgar Bueno |
MF | Greenville | So | Bellflower, Calif./Bellflower |
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| Austin Lanham |
MF | Spalding | Jr | Shelbyville, Ky./Martha Layne Collins |
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| Alex Smith |
MF | Fontbonne | Sr | Washington, Mo./Borgia |
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| Cooper Smith |
MF | Westminster | So | Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge |
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| Greg Ferry |
D | Fontbonne | Fr | Ayr, Scotland/Kyle Academy |
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| Josh Jaycox |
D | Westminster | Sr | Fenton, Mo./Rockwood Summit |
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| Joey Lesher |
D | Spalding | Sr |
Carmel, Ind./Carmel |
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| Kyle Hertel |
GK | Webster | Fr | Sandpoint, Idaho/Sandpoint |
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| Second Team | ||||||||
| Name | Pos | School | Yr | Hometown/High School | ||||
| Abdul Abdullahi |
F | Spalding | Sr | Louisville, Ky./Trinity |
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| Kornell Hilliard |
F | Spalding | Fr | Louisville, Ky./Fern Creek |
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| Dustin Seibolt |
F | Westminster | Jr | Desoto, Kan./Desoto |
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| Daniel Barone |
MF | Westminster | Jr | Broken Arrow, Okla./Bishop Kelley |
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| Briggs Hurley |
MF | Principia | Jr | Ponte Verdra, Fla./Ponte Vedra |
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| Nate Kinnison |
MF | Blackburn | Sr |
Perryville, Mo./Perryville |
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| Dino Music |
MF | Webster |
Jr | St. Louis, Mo./Mehlville |
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| Andres Castro |
D | Fontbonne | Fr | Farmington, Mo./Farmington |
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| Blake Hausman |
D | Westminster | Jr | Columbia, Mo./Rock Bridge |
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| Justin Schmidt |
D | Webster | Fr | St. Louis, Mo./Metro |
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| Kendl Gulick |
GK |
Blackburn |
Fr | Danville, Ill./Danville |
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| Third Team |
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| Name | Pos | School | Yr | Hometown/High School | ||||
| Kyle Collins |
F | Westminster | Sr | St. Louis, Mo./Priory |
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| Lane DePratt |
F | Blackburn | Fr | Danville, Ill./Schlarman Academy |
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| Ryan Dudley |
F | Fontbonne | Jr | Eureka, Mo./Eureka |
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| Jonathon Armador |
MF | Iowa Wesleyan |
Jr | Lexington, Neb./Columbus |
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| Sergi Olvera-Vancini |
MF | Spalding | Jr | Covington, Ky./Holmes |
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| Brendan Shields |
MF | Webster | Sr | St. Peters, Mo./Ft. Zumwalt East |
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| Nick Wolf |
MF | Fontbonne | Jr | St. Louis, Mo./Lindbergh |
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| Charles Dalton |
D | Greenville | So | Wentzville, Mo./St. Dominic |
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| Finn Kola |
D | Spalding | Fr | Millfield, Ohio/Athens |
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| Jake Stowers |
D | Webster | Sr | St. Louis, Mo. |
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| Tony Pitaro |
GK | Fontbonne | Jr | Las Vegas, Nev./Bishop Gorman |
All-Sportsmanship Team
| Name | School | |
| Nate Kinnison |
Blackburn | |
| n/a |
Eureka | |
| Shay Garner |
Fontbonne | |
| Jon Adams |
Greenville | |
| Max Trautman |
Iowa Wesleyan | |
| Drake Hardin |
MacMurray | |
| Ross Johnson |
Principia | |
| Leslie Chu |
Spalding | |
| Coale Dolbert |
Webster | |
| David Immanuel |
Westminster |