OMAHA, Neb. – Seven members of the Summit League champion Omaha men's soccer team were named to the 2014 All-Summit League teams and coach Jason Mims landed Coach of the Year honors, the league announced on Wednesday evening.
Seniors Vance Rookwood and Nick Miller, along with sophomore Mark Moulton each picked up First Team All-Summit League nods. Senior Felipe da Silva and junior Emir Alihodzic were named Second Team All-Summit League, while first year players Joseph Ghitis and Michael Jaime earned spots on the Summit League All-Newcomer team.
Summit League co-champions Western Illinois led all teams with four first team all-conference selections, Omaha was second with three first-team picks. For the Mavericks, it marks the most All-Summit League selections since joining the conference in 2012. Omaha had six selections in 2012 and 2013.
“It's a testament to the work ethic and dedication put forward by the players and people surrounding the program,” said Mark Moulton. “The program has come a long way in the past few years and it's no surprise with our level of commitment.”
Rookwood earned his second career all-conference award. He has a career-high seven goals this season to lead the Mavericks. Rookwood is also the all-time leading goal scorer at Omaha.
Miller earned his first career all-conference award and anchored a Maverick defense that allowed only four conference goals this season. He also showed his versatility on the offensive end of the field by scoring three goals and dishing out one assist.
Moulton earned first-team honors after a breakout sophomore campaign. He led the Summit League with eight assists and was fifth in total points with 14.
Earning second team all-conference honors for the second time in his career was Felipe da Silva. The Omaha defender helped hold the opposition to under a goal per game, which was the second best mark in the conference.
Alihodzic also earned his first ever all-conference award. The junior anchored the Maverick midfield and was fourth on the squad in minutes played. He also scored one goal this season.
Jamie and Ghitis each earned spots on the Summit League All-Newcomer team for their contributions on defense. Jaime has appeared in 15 games with 11 starts. He has one assist and played in 1,169 minutes. Ghitis made eight starts in goal this season for the Mavericks and had a 4-3-1 record with a 1.19 goals against average.
“The accomplishments and accolades received by us seven are a tribute to the entire team and culture as well as the work done by Coach Mims,” added Moulton.
“It is good to have teams in our conference see that we are building something special here in Omaha,” commented head coach Jason Mims.
Mims earns his first Summit League Coach of the Year honors after guiding Omaha to the best record in program history (8-5-2). The Mavericks also earned a share of the Summit League title this season.
Mims was humbled by receiving the award. “This award reflects all the work my assistants, athletic trainers, and fitness coaches do throughout the season. They are just as important to our guys as I am. Those guys work incredibly hard and deserve a ton of credit for the program's rise.”
The three first-team honors are a new program record and so are the seven all-conference selections. Omaha wraps up the season with a pair of games in Phoenix, Ariz. this weekend. The Mavs play Incarnate Word on Friday and Grand Canyon on Sunday.
2014 ALL-SUMMIT LEAGUE MEN'S SOCCER TEAMS
First Team
Mario Alvarez (M), Western Illinois
Charlie Bales (D), Western Illinois
Erick Bloom (D), Western Illinois
Johnny Chavez (F), Oral Roberts
Yves Dietrich (G), Western Illinois
Nick Miller (D), Omaha
Mark Moulton (M), Omaha
Vance Rookwood (F), Omaha
Gerardo Salas (M), Oral Roberts
Jordan Schweitzer (M), Denver
Uriel Macias (F), IUPUI
Second Team
Emir Alihodzic (M), Omaha
Eduardo Cortes (G), IUPUI
Felipe da Silva (D), Omaha
Reagan Dunk (D), Denver
Kortne Ford (D), Denver
Austin Gochneaur (F), Western Illinois
Brian Hoyt (M), Denver
Kosta Kordistos (F), Denver
Eric Kronenberg (F), Denver
Corey Tom (M), Fort Wayne
Emmanuel Usen (F), IUPUI
All-Newcomer
Jacob Bjornsen (D), Western Illinois
Kortne Ford (D), Denver
Joseph Ghitis (G), Omaha
Michael Jaime (D), Omaha
Kaspars Kokis (F), Oral Roberts
Uriel Macias (F), IUPUI
Andy O'Donoghue (D), Fort Wayne
Alejandro Pacheco (M), Western Illinois
Tarik Salkicic (M), Oral Roberts
Cole Stevenson (M), Denver
Emmanuel Usen (F), IUPUI
Offensive Player of the Year
Johnny Chavez, Oral Roberts
Defensive Player of the Year
Charlie Bales, Western Illinois
Goalkeeper of the Year
Yves Dietrich, Western Illinois
Newcomer of the Year
Uriel Macias, IUPUI
Coach of the Year
Jason Mims, Omaha
