NAC Men's Soccer awards announced; Westrich Defensive Player of the Year, Banks Coach of the Year
| Published: 11/12/2009 |
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NAC men's soccer awards announced; Banks Coach of the year, Westrich Defensive Player of the Year
The MSOE Raiders men's soccer team received positive recognition by the conference coaches as the team collected 10 postseason honors including Defensive Player of the Year in Joe Westrich (Racine, Wis./St. Catherines) and nine year head coach Jimmy Banks being named the NAC Coach of the Year.
Westrich, a 6-2 defender and co-captain, scored six goals and had one assist in 21 games played. For Head Coach Banks, this will be his third Coach of the Year award with two previously received while MSOE played in the Lake Michigan Conference.
Both MSOE co-captains, Westrich and Brandon Crozier (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) made the NAC first team. Crozier, a 5-11 midfielder, had four goals and five assists in 21 games played for the Raiders He also had three game winning goals for the season. Michael Vanek (Greenfield, Wis./South Milwaukee) also joins Crozier and Westrich on the NAC frst team. Vanek was the team leader in goals scored with seven, two of which were game winners. He also added three assists for the season.
Dan Kolokoski (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead) and Rock Ridolfi (Kenosha, Wis./Tremper) were second team all conference selections. Kolokoski, a junior forward, had three goals and four assists on the season. In 2008, Kolokoski was a NAC honorable mention selection. Ridolfi, a senior defenseman, returned from an injury in 2008 to receive conference honors in 2009. He was also selected to the NAC's All-Sportsmanship Team.
Alex Mejac (Greenfield, Wis./Whitnall), senior goaltender for the Raiders was a NAC Honorable Mention selection. Mejac's 13 wins in goal, is the school record for most wins in a season in goal.
MSOE's Brad Meissner (Hartland, Wis./Arrowhead), Dominic Ridolfi (Pleasant Prairie, Wis./Tremper) and Jordan Werner (Lombard, Ill./Montini Catholic) landed on the NAC All Freshman Team.
The MSOE men's soccer team finished the season second place in the Northern Athletics Conference with a 9-1-1 record and was 13-6-2 overall. The regionally ranked Raiders saw an amazing season come to a close in the NAC title game with a 1-0 defeat to nationally ranked Dominican University (Ill.).
