OKLAHOMA CITY – Mason Gonzalez from Mid-America Christian secured Sooner Athletic Conference men's soccer player of the year.
Gonzalez headlined five conference award winners from the Evangels, who captured their second consecutive SAC regular-season championship this year. Mid-America Christian boasted of the league defensive player of the year (Ricardo Sepulveda), freshman of the year (Diego Real), goalkeeper of the year (Jerami Abonnel) and coach of the year (Danny Frid).
John Brown's Jacob Zamarron reeled in SAC offensive player of the year, while Science & Arts' Justin Croke took conference newcomer of the year.
Gonzalez has delivered six goals, an assist and 13 points thusfar this season. Gonzalez, a senior defender from Fresno, Calif., has knocked in a pair of goals on two occasions plus three winning goals this year. He headed in a goal from 4 yards out to score the game-winner in the 80th minute against Southwestern Christian on Oct. 25 in Oklahoma City. The SAC has recognized Gonzalez as both league offensive player of the week and defensive player of the week in 2022.
Zamarron became league offensive player of the year for the third time. Zamarron, a senior from Rogers, Ark., has produced 15 goals, eight assists and 38 points this fall. Zamarron recorded a hat trick against Southwestern (Kan.) on Aug. 31 in Winfield, Kan., and two goals and two assists at Panhandle State on Sept. 28 in Goodwell, Okla. He owns 67 goals, 23 assists, 157 points and four SAC offensive player of the week honors as a Golden Eagle.
Sepulveda has sparked Mid-America Christian to 12 shutouts, including eight in a row this year. Sepulveda, a junior from Puente Alto, Chile, became SAC defensive player of the week for Sept. 12-18.
Croke, a junior from Waterford, Ireland, has supplied Science & Arts with nine goals, 12 assists and 30 points on the year. Croke turned in two goals Sept. 10 against Sterling (Kan.) and a goal with three assists vs. Southwestern Assemblies of God on Sept. 27 in Chickasha, Okla. He matched his season high with three assists at John Brown on Oct. 8.
Real has posted one goal, six assists and eight points in 2022. Real, a freshman from Benaguasil, Spain, had a season-best two assists against Texas Wesleyan on Oct. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. Real notched an assist on Gonzalez' winning goal that clinched the Evangels' second SAC regular-season crown in a row.
Abonnel snared SAC goalkeeper of the year for the second year in a row. Abonnel, a sophomore from Aix-en-Provence, France, has accumulated 18 saves and a 0.71 goals-against average this season. Abonnel latched onto a season-best five saves in the Evangels' 2-0 victory over fourth-ranked Columbia (Mo.) on Sept. 12 at Dill Field.
Frid garnered his second SAC coach of the year honor in as many years. Frid has spearheaded Mid-America Christian to a 15-1-2 record with a 7-0-2 mark in conference play. The Evangels stand at No. 2 in the NAIA rankings, have been in the top 10 all season, entered the top five Sept. 14 and reached No. 1 in the poll in the Oct. 5 top 25. Mid-America became the first league squad to occupy the top spot since Wayland Baptist was No. 1 in the Sept. 4, 2018 poll. The NAIA awarded Mid-America Christian a host bid in the NAIA Championship Opening Round on Nov. 17-19 for the first time ever. Through two years, Frid has directed Mid-America Christian to a 34-2-3 mark, 15-0-3 in SAC play.
| 2022 All-Sooner Athletic Conference Men's Soccer |
| Player of the Year: Mason Gonzalez, Mid-America Christian |
| Offensive Player of the Year: Jacob Zamarron, John Brown |
| Defensive Player of the Year: Ricardo Sepulveda, Mid-America Christian |
| Newcomer of the Year: Justin Croke, Science & Arts |
| Freshman of the Year: Diego Real, Mid-America Christian |
| Goalkeeper of the Year: Jerami Abonnel, Mid-America Christian |
| Coach of the Year: Danny Frid, Mid-America Christian |
| FIRST TEAM |
| F |
Jacob Zamarron |
John Brown |
Sr. |
Rogers, Ark. |
| F |
Rodrigo Albuquerque |
Mid-America Christian |
Sr. |
Recife, Brazil |
| F |
Ricardo Ferreira |
Mid-America Christian |
So. |
Espinho, Portugal |
| F |
John Woodhead |
Oklahoma City |
Sr. |
Newcastle, England |
| MF |
Justin Croke |
Science & Arts |
Jr. |
Waterford, Ireland |
| MF |
Diego Real |
Mid-America Christian |
Fr. |
Benaguasil, Spain |
| MF |
Rodrigo Ferreira |
Mid-America Christian |
So. |
Espinho, Portugal |
| MF |
Angelo Leenderste |
Science & Arts |
Jr. |
Dordrecht, Netherlands |
| D |
Ricardo Sepulveda |
Mid-America Christian |
Jr. |
Puente Alto, Chile |
| D |
Mason Gonzalez |
Mid-America Christian |
Sr. |
Fresno, Calif. |
| D |
Kareem Williams |
Mid-America Christian |
Jr. |
Kingston, Jamaica |
| D |
Callum Sheperd |
Science & Arts |
So. |
Liverpool, England |
| GK |
Jerami Abonnel |
Mid-America Christian |
So. |
Aix-en-Provence, France |
| GK |
Sebastian Herrera |
Central Christian |
Sr. |
Quito, Ecuador |
| SECOND TEAM |
| F |
Devon Charles |
Science & Arts |
Jr. |
Sangre Grande, Trinidad & Tobago |
| F |
Kodai Tanaka |
Southwestern Christian |
Jr. |
Tokyo |
| F |
Oscar Odriozola |
Texas Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Monterrey, Mexico |
| F |
Liam Brag |
Southwestern Christian |
Fr. |
Sweden |
| F |
Oscar Carballo |
John Brown |
Sr. |
San José, Costa Rica |
| MF |
James Kerr |
Texas Wesleyan |
Sr. |
Mossblown, Scotland |
| MF |
Jordan Da Costa |
Oklahoma City |
Jr. |
Thonon-Les-Bains, France |
| MF |
Gideon Bossman |
Science & Arts |
Sr. |
Wiamose, Ghana |
| MF |
Juan Anselmi |
Southwestern Christian |
Sr. |
Montevideo, Uruguay |
| D |
Tyler Hoxie |
Central Christian |
Jr. |
McPherson, Kan. |
| D |
Lazar Pavlovic |
Texas Wesleyan |
Jr. |
Belgrade, Serbia |
| D |
Kendall Acuna |
John Brown |
So. |
San José, Costa Rica |
| D |
Matej Urbanija |
John Brown |
Sr. |
Ljubljana, Slovenia |
| GK |
Salvatore Della Vella |
Southwestern Christian |
So. |
Italy |
| GK |
Catalin Nastuta |
Panhandle State |
Sr. |
Silleda, Spain |
| GK |
Jose Ladoriel |
SW Assemblies of God |
Jr. |
Honduras |