Horizon League Reveals 2019 #HLMSOC All-League Honors
INDIANAPOLIS – UIC senior midfielder Jesus Perez has been named the Horizon League Men’s Soccer Player of the Year for the second year in a row, while teammates Bar Hazut earned Offensive Player of the Year, Jacob Graiber was named his Defensive Player of the Year honor and Roberto Alonzo takes home Freshman of the Year as voted upon by the League’s nine head coaches, announced the Horizon League on Monday. In addition, Sullivan Lauderdale of Oakland was named Goalkeeper of the Year and Coach of the Year went to UIC’s Sean Phillips.
Perez is the just the third Horizon League player to win multiple Player of the Year honors and the first since UIC’s Eric Lukin in 1999-2000 to do it in back-to-back seasons. He finished the regular season inside the top-20 in total assists and assists per game and tied for the League lead with eight. The senior also added six goals to finish in the top-five in overall points in the HL.
Hazut makes it two-straight Offensive Player of the Year awards for the Flames and enters the Horizon League tournament second in the League in both goals with 10 and points with 25. Overall this season, he is ranked 26th in the country in goals scored and 22nd in total points. During #HLMSOC play, he has added three goals and four assists to rank top-10 in points.
Graiber, last year’s #HLMSOC Tournament MVP, is the first UIC player to be named Defensive Player of the Year since Josh Beard in 2013. The redshirt junior defender started in all 17 matches this season and guided a UIC team that claimed its first regular season title since 2015 and a 6-2 record in League play. Graiber also added two goals and an assist on the offensive side.
Lauderdale is the first Oakland player ever to be named Goalkeeper of the Year and was tied during #HLMSOC play for the most shutouts with four, while holding a 1.05 goals-against average with 34 saves. The redshirt junior finished the regular season with 57 totals saves and helped Oakland to the No. 2 seed in the Horizon League Tournament, its best finish since 2015.
The last time a UIC freshman earned Freshman of the year was 2013, but forward Alonzo breaks the streak this season as he finished the season with four goals and two assists after playing in all 17 matches for the Flames, making seven starts. During #HLMSOC play, the native of Chicago, Ill. Recorded one goal and two assists.
UIC head coach Sean Phillips earns Coach of the Year for the third time in his career after leading the Flames to the regular season title and an overall record of 12-5. UIC has consistently been ranked in the top-10 in the United Soccer Coaches North Region poll all season. The Flames are undefeated at home this season at 8-0 and hold the country’s longest home winning streak at 20 matches, a program record.
The Horizon League Men’s Soccer Championship kicks off on Monday, Nov. 11, with two quarterfinal contests. No. 3 Detroit Mercy hosts No. 6 Milwaukee at 11 a.m. ET, while No. 4 Green Bay welcomes No. 5 Wright State at 2 p.m. ET.
On Thursday, Nov. 14, the tournament will move to Flames Field in Chicago, Ill. for the semifinals and championship matches. The first semifinal will see No. 1 UIC square off against the lowest-remaining seed at 5 p.m. ET, with No. 2 Oakland taking on the highest-remaining seed at 8 p.m. ET. The championship contest will commence at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 16.
Every match of the 2019 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Championship will be streamed live on ESPN+.
For complete championship information go to the #HLMSOC Championship Central page, here.
2019 Horizon League Men’s Soccer Award Winners
Player of the Year: Jesus Perez, Sr., MF, UIC
Offensive Player of the Year: Bar Hazut, So., F, UIC
Defensive Player of the Year: Jacob Graiber, R-Jr., D, UIC
Goalkeeper of the Year: Sullivan Lauderdale, R-Jr., Oakland
Freshman of the Year: Roberto Alonzo, F, UIC
Coach of the Year: Sean Phillips, UIC
All-Horizon League First Team
Player, School, Pos., Yr.
Gabe Pewu, Cleveland State, F, Sr.
Evan Conway, Milwaukee, F, Sr.
Bar Hazut, UIC, F, So.
Deri Corfe, Wright State, F, Sr.
Vuk Latinovich, Milwaukee, MF, Jr.
Dylan Borczak, Oakland, MF, Jr.
Jesus Perez, UIC, MF, Sr.
Thomas M'Barek, Cleveland State, D, Jr.
Elliott Bentley, Oakland, D, Sr.
Jacob Graiber, UIC, D, R-Jr.
Sullivan Lauderdale, Oakland, GK, R-Jr.
All-Horizon League Second Team
Player, School, Pos., Yr.
Connor Probert, Northern Kentucky, F, Sr.
Bukola Abdulwahab Omatose, UIC, F, Jr.
Stefan Rokvic, Wright State, F, Sr.
Alex Greive, Northern Kentucky, MF, Jr.
Noah Jensen, Oakland, MF, Jr.
Jackson Dietrich, Wright State, MF, Sr.
Garrett Weaver, Detroit Mercy, D, Sr.
Andre Baires, Green Bay, D, Sr.
Jake Kelderman, Milwaukee, D, R-Jr.
Luke Morrell, Oakland, D, So.
Devin Mendez, Detroit Mercy, GK, R-So.
Horizon League All-Freshman Team
Player, School
Omeed Naemy, Cleveland State
Ezau Millan, Green Bay
Chris Workman, IUPUI
Kasper Davidsson, Milwaukee
Josh Kidder, Milwaukee
Abdu Regassa, Milwaukee
Ali Zohar, Northern Kentucky
Adam McAleenan, Oakland
Cameron Wilde, Oakland
Roberto Alonzo, UIC
Aaron Nguyen, UIC