2022 All Americans

SimpleCoach · December 02, 2022, 05:54:53 PM

How Marcos Villa of Luther didn't make one of the teams is beyond me.

SC.

NEsoccerfan · December 03, 2022, 02:20:54 PM

Quote from: SimpleCoach on December 02, 2022, 05:54:53 PM
How Marcos Villa of Luther didn't make one of the teams is beyond me.

SC.

This^! 16 goals and 13 assists. Are you kidding me?

Christan Shirk · April 05, 2023, 02:58:45 PM

Quote from: Christan Shirk on December 02, 2022, 11:37:16 AM
At the outset of the season, Jim Hutchinson and I (aka D3soccer.com) did not plan to do the Top 25 or All-America teams this year. We ended up doing the Top 25, but as of yesterday we still had no plan to do the All-America teams. Today, however, I can share that we will do our best to name All-America teams one last time. After keeping the website running one more season than we intended, albeit without any columns or articles, it felt wrong to not close the season with All-America teams. That said, we have no set timetable. Our families and personal well-being will come first during the holiday season. So I wouldn't expect the teams to be released any earlier than in most recent years (i.e., a month into the new year).

Over the years we have appreciated the interest in our rankings and awards and the compliments we recieve. We believe and are told that both are positive additions to the D-III soccer community. We have always striven to do the best we can and have enjoyed providing an alternate to the NSCAA/USC rankings and awards. While we won't miss the long hours and sacrifices that were required to pull off many of the things we have done at D3soccer.com, we will miss the satisfaction of contributing to the D-III soccer community in a meaningful way. And we genuinely and earnestly hope that the things we had a hand in over the years continue to exist and evolve in some form, whether through a revitalized D3soccer.com or something competely new.

So, be patient with us, but keep your eyes out for All-America teams in the new year.

So . . . here we are four months later and finally, yes finally, the 2022 D3soccer.com Men's All-America teams will be released tomorrow by 1:00 pm ET, possibly earlier. We are as disappointed as anyone that they are so extremely late, and we know that they may not even be considered newsworthy at this point, but once we got part way through the process, we felt we had to see it through even if in fits and starts. It just felt like the website needed the teams to be able to properly close the chapter on the 2022 season. Or maybe it was just my perfectionistic/OCD tendencies!

In recent years, my colleague Jim Hutchinson takes the lead on the women and I on the men to develop a rough first draft of the teams with a short list of alternates at each position. Then we collaborate to get a different take and perspective on things and make sure we aren't overlooking something/someone or letting personal preferences and biases cloud our judgement. And throughout the process we are reaching out to numerous coaches to discuss players they faced as well as looking for the inside scoop on their own players if any are in the mix. Jim kept on schedule with the women's teams in January, but I unfortunately did not for the men. In February I finally was able to carve out time to work on the men's teams while Jim was up to his eyeballs with other commitments. Only in March did we find time to collaborate on and off and have the back and forth and additional deep dives and conversations with coaches to finalize the selections. And the past week has been about preparing the releases and giving advance notice to all the SIDs and coaches of the selected players.

To make the teams happen despite not being able to invest nearly as much time as in years past, we said we could live with less deep dives, less phone calls with coaches, etc., but in the end it was very hard to shortcut the process and sacrifice the confidence we normally have in our selections. This year as every year, many excellent and possibly deserving players did not make our cut, some that maybe were on an earlier draft or might have made it onto the teams had we spent even more time comparing and analyzing and getting additional input and perspectives. And while always reasonably confident that our selections are solid and defensible, even we continue to second guess some selections/omissions (e.g. Steve Yeonas in 2021), placement within the teams, and POY honors long after the fact. It's humbling to take on this task each year and we are well aware of our fallibility.

Anyway, I am rambling, probably because it's somewhat bittersweet to know this is the end of the road for Jim Hutchinson and myself. But the point is that the teams will be announced on the website by 1:00 pm ET tomorrow. Even if extremely belated, we're glad to be able to recognize and honor 33 men's and 33 women's players who had excellent seasons, especially those who did not get selected by the United Soccer Coaches. I don't expect a lot of discussion, especially this far into the off-season, but feedback—positive or negative—is always welcome. We take no offense to being told we such have selected so-and-so. Just try not to take your disagreements with us out on the players selected.

P.S. The women's All-America teams were released today if anyone was interested: https://d3soccer.com/awards/all-america/2022/2022-Womens-AA

Ron Boerger · April 05, 2023, 05:33:42 PM

Thank you and Jim for persevering to get teams out, and sincere thanks for all you have done over the years to support the sport and the site. You will be missed, Christian.

Ejay · April 05, 2023, 06:46:03 PM

I can only imagine how difficult a task it is. Thank you for all that you've done.

Christan Shirk · April 06, 2023, 10:03:39 AM

2022 D3soccer.com Men's All-America teams
http://www.d3soccer.com/awards/all-america/2022/2022-Mens-AA

2022 MEN'S PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Forward of the Year: Matt McDonald (Sr.), Messiah

Midfielder of the Year: Marvin Sibanda (Sr.), St. Lawrence

Co-Defenders of the Year: Griffin Wada (Sr.), Chicago & Richard Gillespie (Sr.), Chicago

Goalkeeper of the Year: Ben Diffley (Jr.), Williams

2022 MEN'S ALL-AMERICANS

FIRST TEAM

F	Matt McDonald	Sr.	Messiah
F	Josh Kirkland	Sr.	Mary Washington
M	Marvin Sibanda *	Sr.	St. Lawrence
M	Luke Groothoff *	Gr.	Messiah
M	Michael Kutsanzira *	Sr.	Washington and Lee
M	Victor Gaulmin *	Jr.	St. Olaf
D	Griffin Wada *	Sr.	Chicago
D	Richard Gillespie *	Sr.	Chicago
D	Tim Treinen	Gr.	Johns Hopkins
D	Nick Boardman	Sr.	Williams
GK	Ben Diffley	Jr.	Williams

SECOND TEAM

F	Nathan Donovan	So.	UW-Eau Claire
F	Marcos Vila	5th	Luther
F/M	Shea Bechtel	So.	St. Olaf
M	Samuel Bass *	Sr.	Washington and Lee
M	Bruno Andino	Sr.	Stevens
M	Matt Vatne	Sr.	Case Western Reserve
M	Julian Juantorena	Sr.	Bowdoin
D	Jake Lent-Koop *	Sr.	Messiah
D	Dylan Reid	Sr.	Bowdoin
D	Ian Daly	Sr.	Tufts
GK	Wesley Sanders	Sr.	Gustavus Adolphus

THIRD TEAM

F	Arkan Tahsildaroglu	Jr.	New York University
F	Taty Aleman	Jr.	St. Thomas (Texas)
F	Darius Siahpoosh	Sr.	Catholic
M	Scott Upton *	Sr.	Kenyon
M	Mason Smith	Sr.	Calvin
M	Chad Yates	Jr.	Rowan
M	Naz Kabanni	Sr.	Chicago
D	Tyler Smith	Sr.	Washington and Lee
D	Aidan Burns	Jr.	Kenyon
D	Alexandru Rumleanschi	Gr.	Case Western Reserve
GK	Justin Cross	Sr.	Stevens

* previous D3soccer.com All-America honors

2022 MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR

Julianne Sitch

| Chicago (22-0-1)

| 2022 National Champion

Hopkins92 · April 06, 2023, 11:08:46 AM

Thanks to you and Jim, Christan! Obviously, this tight community cares a great deal about all you have done over the years and this year is no exception. Legends!

(Also, if you're wondering if people outside of this board are paying attention, Hopkins' athletic site had the Weiler and Woodard selections in a front and center story on their homepage yesterday. I suspect there will be a story on Treinen in short order. So... You still got it!)

Kuiper · April 06, 2023, 01:06:20 PM

Quote from: Christan Shirk on April 06, 2023, 10:03:39 AM
2022 D3soccer.com Men's All-America teams
http://www.d3soccer.com/awards/all-america/2022/2022-Mens-AA

2022 MEN'S PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

Forward of the Year: Matt McDonald (Sr.), Messiah

Midfielder of the Year: Marvin Sibanda (Sr.), St. Lawrence

Co-Defenders of the Year: Griffin Wada (Sr.), Chicago & Richard Gillespie (Sr.), Chicago

Goalkeeper of the Year: Ben Diffley (Jr.), Williams

2022 MEN'S ALL-AMERICANS

FIRST TEAM
F
Matt McDonald
Sr.
Messiah
F
Josh Kirkland
Sr.
Mary Washington
M
Marvin Sibanda *
Sr.
St. Lawrence
M
Luke Groothoff *
Gr.
Messiah
M
Michael Kutsanzira *
Sr.
Washington and Lee
M
Victor Gaulmin *
Jr.
St. Olaf
D
Griffin Wada *
Sr.
Chicago
D
Richard Gillespie *
Sr.
Chicago
D
Tim Treinen
Gr.
Johns Hopkins
D
Nick Boardman
Sr.
Williams
GK
Ben Diffley
Jr.
Williams

SECOND TEAM
F
Nathan Donovan
So.
UW-Eau Claire
F
Marcos Vila
5th
Luther
F/M
Shea Bechtel
So.
St. Olaf
M
Samuel Bass *
Sr.
Washington and Lee
M
Bruno Andino
Sr.
Stevens
M
Matt Vatne
Sr.
Case Western Reserve
M
Julian Juantorena
Sr.
Bowdoin
D
Jake Lent-Koop *
Sr.
Messiah
D
Dylan Reid
Sr.
Bowdoin
D
Ian Daly
Sr.
Tufts
GK
Wesley Sanders
Sr.
Gustavus Adolphus

THIRD TEAM
F
Arkan Tahsildaroglu
Jr.
New York University
F
Taty Aleman
Jr.
St. Thomas (Texas)
F
Darius Siahpoosh
Sr.
Catholic
M
Scott Upton *
Sr.
Kenyon
M
Mason Smith
Sr.
Calvin
M
Chad Yates
Jr.
Rowan
M
Naz Kabanni
Sr.
Chicago
D
Tyler Smith
Sr.
Washington and Lee
D
Aidan Burns
Jr.
Kenyon
D
Alexandru Rumleanschi
Gr.
Case Western Reserve
GK
Justin Cross
Sr.
Stevens
* previous D3soccer.com All-America honors

2022 MEN'S COACH OF THE YEAR
Julianne Sitch | Chicago (22-0-1) | 2022 National Champion

I particularly like the decision to name Wada and Gillespie co-Defenders of the Year. United Soccer Coaches named Gillespie first team and left off Wada altogether from all three All American teams, when anyone who had watched Chicago for more than a few games knew that separating out Gillespie and Wada that way was fairly arbitrary from a defensive perspective. They were so good last season because of how they worked together and complemented each other's strengths. Gillespie couldn't have gone on his forays in attack or taken risks with his passes if he didn't have a rock solid defender like Wada to back him up and Wada might not have been able to be as aggressive going after head balls on defense if he didn't know that Gillespie could back him up.

I'm not sure I would have named Diffley GK of the year, but he definitely deserved some recognition. The focus on regional representation (which, as a resident of region X, I can appreciate) results in some of the head scratchers on the USC list (including a player who exclusively came off the bench until halfway through the season being named 3rd team All American)

Gregory Sager · April 06, 2023, 09:53:37 PM

It's bittersweet to see the final d3soccer.com All-American team. As I've said numerous times on this site, the d3soccer.com team is the gold standard. Knowing that we'll only have the USC team going forward means knowing that we're going to be stuck with a much more methodologically flawed and less painstakingly prepared end product as far as D3 soccer All-American teams are concerned.

My warmest admiration and appreciation goes out to Christan and Jim for all of their work over the years.