Full Release
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. - John Haist of Colorado School of Mines was named the 2017 Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) Men’s Soccer Player of the Year, announced on Tuesday along with All-RMAC Teams.
The junior is one of four players to win a major award this season. Slater Elkind of Colorado Mesa picked up Defensive Player of the Year honors. UCCS’ David Meyer notched Goalkeeper of the Year, and Amit Hefer of Westminster was named Freshman of the Year. Greg Mulholland of Colorado School of Mines was selected as Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year.
The major awards, along with All-RMAC First and Second Teams were voted on by the conference’s 11 head men’s soccer coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own players.
Four forwards, four midfielders, four defenders and one goalkeeper each made All-RMAC First Team and All-RMAC Second Team. Players that did not make either First or Second Team, but received one First Team vote or two Second Team votes received an Honorable Mention.
Haist has had an outstanding season, leading the Orediggers offensively to a No. 1 seed in the RMAC Tournament and a conference record of 13-1. He leads the RMAC and is second nationally in total goals, with a total of 19 thus far. He also leads the RMAC and is third nationally in game-winning goals (3). He is ranked ninth in the NCAA in shots per game, averaging 4.65. Haist was named RMAC Offensive Player of the Week twice this year. His freshman season, he took home Freshman of the Year honors.
Slater Elkind, named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, held onto the title. The senior led the Mavericks to an 11-2-1 RMAC record and a No. 2 seed in the RMAC Tournament. His performance earned him a RMAC Defensive Player of the Week award. In 2016, Elkind earned an All-RMAC First Team spot.
Meyer, a two-time 2017 RMAC Goalkeeper of the Week winner, notched 85 saves and four shutouts in 16 games played, earning the Mountain Lions a spot in the RMAC Tournament and a 7-4-3 conference record. This is his second consecutive Goalkeeper of the Year win. The senior was also named to the 2017 Preseason All-RMAC Team and the All-RMAC Second Team in his freshman season in 2014.
Amit Hefer earns Freshman of the Year after tying for third in the RMAC in assists with seven, sixth in the RMAC in total shots (51), and tying for eighth in points (17).
Coach of the Year, Greg Mulholland, is in his first year as interim head coach for the Orediggers, after serving for 10 years as assistant coach. He has aided Colorado School of Mines to a cumulative record of 128-55-22, as well as four NCAA Tournament berths and three RMAC titles.
The RMAC quarterfinals kicked off today at 12 p.m. MST. The two winners will go on to the semifinals on Friday, November 3. For more information about the RMAC Men's Soccer Championship, click
here.
Player of the Year: John Haist, CSM
Defensive Player of the Year: Slater Elkind, CMU
Goalkeeper of the Year: David Meyer, UCCS
Freshman of the Year: Amit Hefer, WC
COTY: Greg Mulholland, CSM
First Team All-RMAC
F – John Haist, CSM
F – Jake McAllister, UCCS
F – Trevor Amann, CSM
F – Kevin Del Mazo, CMU
M – Moshe Perez, CMU
M – Nikolaus Grotz, CSM
M – Yannick Schad, MSUD
M – Amit Hefer, WC
D – Slater Elkind, CMU
D – Ty Lang, FLC
D – Connor Langenbahn, UCCS
D – Connor Marth, CSUP
GK – David Meyer, UCCS
Second Team All-RMAC
F – Will Eslinger, RU
F – Justin Barkow, SDSMT
F – Nils Runnberg, MSUD
F – Ryan Lee, FLC
M – Ryan Blarr, CSM
M – Blake Barnes, UCCS
M – Leo Barba, ASU
M – David Boldt, CSM
D – Roberto Diaz, CMU
D – Luca Kother, RU
D – Marshall Metzger, FLC
D – Dylan Wood, MSUD
GK – Briley Guarneri, CSM
Honorable Mention
Peter Byrne, FLC
Collin Hall, CSM
Danny Darelli, WC
Danny Bautista, MSUD
Landon Gibson, FLC
Nathan Flack, CCU
John Halter, RU
Nicolas Perez, FLC
Matthew Miller, CMU
Oliver Haines, RU