By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / Strategic Communications
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Colorado Mesa University forward Matteo Bonelli, University of Colorado Colorado Springs defender Maddox Brown, and South Dakota Mines goalkeeper Abdo Salem Abdullah claimed the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Week 4 men’s soccer weekly awards, announced Tuesday.
Bonelli scored the third hat trick in the RMAC this season and was the second scorer with seven points in a match in the Mavericks win at Adams State. Brown and the UCCS defense he led held one of the league’s top-scoring offenses to two goals and then pitched a shutout. Abdullah made 10 saves over two matches to help the Hardrockers improve to 5-0-2 as conference play gets underway this week.
South Dakota Mines (5-0-2) and nationally-ranked Colorado State University Pueblo (4-0-4) enter RMAC action unbeaten on the season, with nationally-ranked Fort Lewis College (4-1-2) only suffering its first loss last week at CSU Pueblo. The Hardrockers open RMAC play at Colorado School of Mines on Friday before hosting Regis on Sunday. CSU Pueblo hosts Westminster on Thursday and Colorado Mesa on Sunday. Fort Lewis hosts Colorado Christian and MSU Denver on Friday and Sunday, respectively.
Offensive
Matteo Bonelli, Colorado Mesa (Sophomore, Forward, Alba, Italy)
Bonelli scored a natural hat trick and had a seven-point match at Adams State, helping Colorado Mesa post a 1-1 record in the final week of nonconference play. Against the Grizzlies, Bonelli scored in 9th, 13th, and 55th minutes for the second, third, and fourth goals of the game. Bonelli then assisted on the game’s fifth goal in the 64th minute to secure his seven-point outing in just 44 minutes of action.
Others Nominated: Will Boyle, CSU Pueblo; Leo Santana, Colorado School of Mines; Lorenz Guintini, Fort Lewis; Matt Vogel, MSU Denver; Rayhan Carlson-Du Toit, Regis; Parker Yocom, South Dakota Mines; Miles Seminario, UCCS; Jack Cardwell, Westminster.
Defensive
Maddox Brown, UCCS (Freshman, Defender, Fort Collins, Colorado)
Brown led a UCCS defensive group that allowed two goals en route to a 1-1 week with a 2-0 win against Regis and a 2-1 loss to nationally-ranked Fort Lewis. Brown and UCCS allowed just four shots on goal to a Skyhawks squad that entered the game scoring 3.2 goals per game. He followed that by providing an assist on the game-winning goal against Regis and marshalled a defense that allowed just one shot on goal.
Others Nominated: Arlo Follet, CSU Pueblo, Connor Chilson, Colorado Mesa; Charlie Newberry, Colorado School of Mines; Mathias Valverde, Fort Lewis; Riley Liston, MSU Denver; Zach Peroff, South Dakota Mines; Khristian Bombeck, Westminster.
Goalkeeper
Abdo Salem Abdullah, South Dakota Mines (Sophomore, Goalkeeper, Kristiansand, Norway)
Abdullah backstopped South Dakota Mines to a 4-0 win against Colorado Mesa and a 4-2 victory at Adams State, as the Hardrockers extended their unbeaten streak while improving to 5-0-2 this season. He recorded three saves in the 4-2 win at Adams State while facing 10 total shots. Abdullah then posted his first shutout of the season against Colorado Mesa, making seven saves.
Others Nominated: Esteban Gonzalez, CSU Pueblo; Nathan Beck, Colorado Mesa; Kiernan DiBella, Colorado School of Mines; Zach Jennings, Regis; Hugo Sjöberg, UCCS.
About the RMAC
The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 67 national championships and 53 national runners-up since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.
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