Marshall University Athletics
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No. 5 Herd Men’s Soccer Racks up 2022 SBC Postseason Honors
11/4/2022 4:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Alves, Aoumaich, Bell, Fernandes, Semmle, Yosef honored by Sun Belt
NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced its 2022 Men's Soccer Postseason Awards on Friday with the No. 5 Marshall University men's soccer team seeing six student-athletes honored.
"I'm very proud of our six guys who received honors today for their great seasons. However, I believe we have several guys who deserved and could have been on the all-conference team, too," Herd men's soccer head coach Chris Grassie said.
Redshirt senior Milo Yosef was named both the SBC Player and Offensive Player of the Year, junior Adam Aoumaich earning SBC Newcomer of the Year and Matthew Bell bringing home the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Year. In addition to the individual awards, graduate student Vinicius Fernandes and senior Gabriel Alves joined Bell and Yosef in being named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference with Aoumaich and graduate student goalkeeper Oliver Semmle earning Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
"For Milo, Player of the Year is a great award for him," Grassie said. "Over the course of the season, he probably is with all that he has done and how dangerous he has been. Then getting Offensive Player of the Year as well, there are some tremendous players on that Kentucky forward line. So for him to win it is a great honor."
Yosef had quite the season for the Herd. The forward from Aachen, Germany, took home the Week One Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of Week for recording a hat-trick against VCU on August 25, one of his four multi-point games and two multi-goal efforts. Yosef tallied eight goals this season, third most in the conference, including an SBC-best four game-winning goals. The redshirt senior was also second in the conference in points per game (1.46) and third in the SBC in shots per game at 3.00 with 39 shots this season. In the Marshall record book, Yosef currently ranks fifth in program history with 27 goals, tied for third with 18 career assists and tied for third with 72 career points.
"To be honest, like I said two years ago, they are bonuses to get recognition like that," Yosef said about receiving his honors. "These were some of my individual goals from the beginning of the year. Winning them is an honor. Big thanks to the team for helping me earn them because without them it wouldn't be possible."
"Matthew has had a really good freshman year. He's been really dangerous," Grassie said about Bell winning the Freshman of the Year Award. "He's worked really hard. He's still open to improving his game. He knows where he is and what he needs to do."
Bell, a freshman from Kingston, Jamaica, opened his collegiate career by leading Marshall and ranking second in the Sun Belt with 22 points and nine goals, including three game-winners, tied for second most in the SBC behind Yosef. He recorded four multi-point games, including two multi-goal efforts. He was named the Week Two Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of Week. Bell averaged a conference-best 1.47 points per game while ranking second in the league in shots (47) and shots on goal (22). His four assists rank tied for ninth in the conference this season.
"I knew Adam was one of the most dangerous wingers in the country coming into the season. It's well deserved for him," Grassie said about Aoumaich's honors.
Aoumaich transferred from Albany prior to the season and played a major role coming down the wing for the Herd. The junior from Paris, France, recorded nine assists, second most in the Sun Belt, to go with two goals for 13 points. Aoumaich had three multi-assist games, including three against Pacific on September 11, tied for the most by a student-athlete in the SBC this season. He fired 34 shots this season, seventh most in the conference and is on a four-game point streak.
"Vini on the first team, he's been tremendous and definitely was a contender for player of the season for me," Grassie commented about Fernandes being named first team all-conference. "He's been so good for us this year. He's dropped a little deeper for us this year to help us build. He sacrificed himself for the team. He's been a great leader and a great captain."
Fernandes recorded five assists and scored one goal on 20 shots, including 10 on goal. He appeared in 1,089 minutes during the season as he played a major role in the Herd's midfield. The graduate student from Sao Paulo, Brazil, opened the season with two assists against VCU on August 25, while tallying his lone goal in a 3-1 win at South Carolina on October 8. Fernandes collected assists in a pair of road conference matches in 1-1 draws at Kentucky on September 16 and at Georgia State on October 19.
"Gabi has been an absolute force going forward left back," Grassie said about Alves. "He's the best left back in the country."
Alves played an integral part on the Herd's backline as he played in 1,158 minutes this season. The senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, played on a Marshall defense that allowed just 11 goals in 15 games and had five clean sheets, including shutouts against conference foes WVU, Coastal Carolina and JMU. Alves tallied a goal from about 30-yards out against Old Dominion on October 15. He recorded 12 shots, including two on goal, during the campaign.
"I feel like Oli is overlooked for being the best goalkeeper in the conference," Grassie said about Semmle. "I think he's the best goalie in the country hands down. For me, there is no one who can play like him with his feet and the shot stopping, and crosses that he does, such a great presence. He definitely doesn't just deserve to be first team all-conference, but an All-American for sure."
Semmle put together quite the season in goal for Marshall as he won a pair of Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week awards this season. The native of Au am Rhein, Germany, played every minute in goal for the Herd except 16 minutes, while accumulating a 10-2-3 record this season with a Sun Belt best .746 goals against average and a .744 save percentage, second best in the conference. Semmle's 10 wins this season are the most among all goalkeepers in the conference and his five shutouts were tied atop the SBC, including three clean sheets against conference foes WVU, Coastal Carolina and JMU. Semmle now has the most shutouts in program history with 24.
2022 Sun Belt Men's Soccer Awards
Player of the Year: Milo Yosef, F, Marshall
Offensive Player of the Year: Milo Yosef, F, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year: Luis Grassow, D, Kentucky
Goalkeeper of the Year: Casper Mols, GK, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Matthew Bell, F, Marshall
Newcomer of the Year: Adam Aoumaich, F, Marshall
Coach of the Year: Johan Cedergren, Kentucky
First Team All-Conference
F - Milo Yosef, Marshall
F - Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky
F - Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, Coastal Carolina
F - Matthew Bell, Marshall
MF - Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall
MF - Enzo Mauriz, Kentucky
MF - Simon Carlson, Georgia State
D - Luis Grassow, Kentucky
D - Gabriel Alves, Marshall
D - Robert Screen, Kentucky
GK - Casper Mols, Kentucky
Second Team All-Conference
F - Casper Grening, Kentucky
F - Nick Gutmann, Kentucky
F - Adam Aoumaich, Marshall
MF - Clay Holstad, Kentucky
MF - Alex Krakowiak, James Madison
MF - Luke McCormick, West Virginia
MF - Andrew Erickson, Kentucky
D - Lucca Rodrigues, Kentucky
D - Bjarne Thiesen, West Virginia
D - Peter Dearle, Coastal Carolina
GK - Oliver Semmle, Marshall
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
"I'm very proud of our six guys who received honors today for their great seasons. However, I believe we have several guys who deserved and could have been on the all-conference team, too," Herd men's soccer head coach Chris Grassie said.
Redshirt senior Milo Yosef was named both the SBC Player and Offensive Player of the Year, junior Adam Aoumaich earning SBC Newcomer of the Year and Matthew Bell bringing home the Sun Belt's Freshman of the Year. In addition to the individual awards, graduate student Vinicius Fernandes and senior Gabriel Alves joined Bell and Yosef in being named First Team All-Sun Belt Conference with Aoumaich and graduate student goalkeeper Oliver Semmle earning Second Team All-Sun Belt Conference honors.
"For Milo, Player of the Year is a great award for him," Grassie said. "Over the course of the season, he probably is with all that he has done and how dangerous he has been. Then getting Offensive Player of the Year as well, there are some tremendous players on that Kentucky forward line. So for him to win it is a great honor."
Yosef had quite the season for the Herd. The forward from Aachen, Germany, took home the Week One Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of Week for recording a hat-trick against VCU on August 25, one of his four multi-point games and two multi-goal efforts. Yosef tallied eight goals this season, third most in the conference, including an SBC-best four game-winning goals. The redshirt senior was also second in the conference in points per game (1.46) and third in the SBC in shots per game at 3.00 with 39 shots this season. In the Marshall record book, Yosef currently ranks fifth in program history with 27 goals, tied for third with 18 career assists and tied for third with 72 career points.
"To be honest, like I said two years ago, they are bonuses to get recognition like that," Yosef said about receiving his honors. "These were some of my individual goals from the beginning of the year. Winning them is an honor. Big thanks to the team for helping me earn them because without them it wouldn't be possible."
"Matthew has had a really good freshman year. He's been really dangerous," Grassie said about Bell winning the Freshman of the Year Award. "He's worked really hard. He's still open to improving his game. He knows where he is and what he needs to do."
Bell, a freshman from Kingston, Jamaica, opened his collegiate career by leading Marshall and ranking second in the Sun Belt with 22 points and nine goals, including three game-winners, tied for second most in the SBC behind Yosef. He recorded four multi-point games, including two multi-goal efforts. He was named the Week Two Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of Week. Bell averaged a conference-best 1.47 points per game while ranking second in the league in shots (47) and shots on goal (22). His four assists rank tied for ninth in the conference this season.
"I knew Adam was one of the most dangerous wingers in the country coming into the season. It's well deserved for him," Grassie said about Aoumaich's honors.
Aoumaich transferred from Albany prior to the season and played a major role coming down the wing for the Herd. The junior from Paris, France, recorded nine assists, second most in the Sun Belt, to go with two goals for 13 points. Aoumaich had three multi-assist games, including three against Pacific on September 11, tied for the most by a student-athlete in the SBC this season. He fired 34 shots this season, seventh most in the conference and is on a four-game point streak.
"Vini on the first team, he's been tremendous and definitely was a contender for player of the season for me," Grassie commented about Fernandes being named first team all-conference. "He's been so good for us this year. He's dropped a little deeper for us this year to help us build. He sacrificed himself for the team. He's been a great leader and a great captain."
Fernandes recorded five assists and scored one goal on 20 shots, including 10 on goal. He appeared in 1,089 minutes during the season as he played a major role in the Herd's midfield. The graduate student from Sao Paulo, Brazil, opened the season with two assists against VCU on August 25, while tallying his lone goal in a 3-1 win at South Carolina on October 8. Fernandes collected assists in a pair of road conference matches in 1-1 draws at Kentucky on September 16 and at Georgia State on October 19.
"Gabi has been an absolute force going forward left back," Grassie said about Alves. "He's the best left back in the country."
Alves played an integral part on the Herd's backline as he played in 1,158 minutes this season. The senior from Sao Paulo, Brazil, played on a Marshall defense that allowed just 11 goals in 15 games and had five clean sheets, including shutouts against conference foes WVU, Coastal Carolina and JMU. Alves tallied a goal from about 30-yards out against Old Dominion on October 15. He recorded 12 shots, including two on goal, during the campaign.
"I feel like Oli is overlooked for being the best goalkeeper in the conference," Grassie said about Semmle. "I think he's the best goalie in the country hands down. For me, there is no one who can play like him with his feet and the shot stopping, and crosses that he does, such a great presence. He definitely doesn't just deserve to be first team all-conference, but an All-American for sure."
Semmle put together quite the season in goal for Marshall as he won a pair of Sun Belt Conference Defensive Player of the Week awards this season. The native of Au am Rhein, Germany, played every minute in goal for the Herd except 16 minutes, while accumulating a 10-2-3 record this season with a Sun Belt best .746 goals against average and a .744 save percentage, second best in the conference. Semmle's 10 wins this season are the most among all goalkeepers in the conference and his five shutouts were tied atop the SBC, including three clean sheets against conference foes WVU, Coastal Carolina and JMU. Semmle now has the most shutouts in program history with 24.
2022 Sun Belt Men's Soccer Awards
Player of the Year: Milo Yosef, F, Marshall
Offensive Player of the Year: Milo Yosef, F, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year: Luis Grassow, D, Kentucky
Goalkeeper of the Year: Casper Mols, GK, Kentucky
Freshman of the Year: Matthew Bell, F, Marshall
Newcomer of the Year: Adam Aoumaich, F, Marshall
Coach of the Year: Johan Cedergren, Kentucky
First Team All-Conference
F - Milo Yosef, Marshall
F - Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky
F - Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, Coastal Carolina
F - Matthew Bell, Marshall
MF - Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall
MF - Enzo Mauriz, Kentucky
MF - Simon Carlson, Georgia State
D - Luis Grassow, Kentucky
D - Gabriel Alves, Marshall
D - Robert Screen, Kentucky
GK - Casper Mols, Kentucky
Second Team All-Conference
F - Casper Grening, Kentucky
F - Nick Gutmann, Kentucky
F - Adam Aoumaich, Marshall
MF - Clay Holstad, Kentucky
MF - Alex Krakowiak, James Madison
MF - Luke McCormick, West Virginia
MF - Andrew Erickson, Kentucky
D - Lucca Rodrigues, Kentucky
D - Bjarne Thiesen, West Virginia
D - Peter Dearle, Coastal Carolina
GK - Oliver Semmle, Marshall
For all of the latest information on the Marshall men's soccer team, follow the Herd on Twitter @HerdMSoccer, Facebook at Marshall University Soccer and on www.herdzone.com.
To follow all Thundering Herd sports and get live stats, schedules, and free live audio, download the Marshall Athletics App for iOS or Android!
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