DENVER – The [23/21] University of Denver men's soccer earned four of the six major Summit League Awards and placed 10 student-athletes on the three All-Summit League teams, including six on the Summit League First Team, the league office announced on Wednesday morning.
Sam Bassett was named the Summit League Midfielder of the Year, Jason Belloli earned Defensive Player of the Year honors, Isaac Nehme was named the Summit League Goalkeeper of the Year and Jack and Sheila Weinberg Head Men's Soccer Coach Jamie Franks was tabbed the Summit League Coach of the Year.
In addition to the three student-athletes that earned major awards, Dylan Akau, Ian Smith and Holger Olsson were all voted to the Summit League First Team, while Aaron Kronenberg and Aidan O'Toole were named to the Summit League Second Team and Jake Smith and Bryce Willoughby were named Summit League Honorable Mention.
Bassett leads the Pioneers with 19 points on seven goals and five assists. The Denver playmaking midfielder scored two goals, including the game-winner at St. Thomas and scored the game-winner from the penalty spot in the Pioneers regular season win at Kansas City.
Belloli has led the Denver defense all season long, recording 11 shutouts this year. The Pioneers defense allowed just one goal in eight matches of Summit League play.
Nehme played all 1530 minutes in the regular season, leading the Pioneers to an 11-2-4 record with 11 shutouts. The Denver keeper has made 50 saves this season against just 13 goals allowed.
Akau played and started in all 17 matches, scoring once and adding four assists to his stat ledger. The outside back has played all but 28 minutes this season.
Ian Smith played and started in all 17 matches navigating the opposite channel of Akau. Smith tied a team-high with five assists on the wing in his nearly 1500 minutes of the regular season.
Olsson played in 15 of Denver's 17 matches, starting 11. The Denver forward had a pair of game-winners en-route to a four-goal and three-assist regular season.
Up Next:
Denver closes and Kansas City will both head to Tulsa to meet again on Thursday at the Case Soccer Complex on the campus of Oral Roberts. The semifinal will be the first of two in the league, and is set to kickoff at 3 p.m. CT/2 p.m. MT on the Summit League Network.
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