GLIAC –- The Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) has announced the men's soccer postseason awards for 2023, as voted on by the league's coaches.
Purdue Northwest forward Hugo Lorenzo was honored as the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Lorenzo is the first-ever PNW men’s soccer player to receive this award as GLIAC Offensive Player of the Year. Lorenzo was dynamic on the offensive end this season for the Pride after transferring in from William Penn. The senior led the conference in goals (13), points (30), and game-winning goals (4), while also adding four assists for Purdue Northwest. Nationally, Lorenzo ranked tied-seventh in total goals scored this season and tied-11th in total points. Lorenzo dominated the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week Awards this season, winning four times, including two in-a-row in October.
Parkside centerback Mike Howell is the 2023 GLIAC Defensive Player of the Year. Howell, a redshirt senior, captained the Rangers backline on the way to a 9-4-2 overall record and 7-2-1 record in the GLIAC. The Milwaukee, Wis., native logged the most minutes of any defensive player for the Rangers and third most overall while starting in every conference game. Howell also notched a goal this season and has two total goals in his time as a Ranger. His play during the season did not go unnoticed as he earned GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week honors in week four.
Purdue Northwest senior Eligh Williams (Queensland, Australia) has earned GLIAC Goalkeeper of the Year honors for the 2023 season. Williams is the first-ever PNW men’s soccer goalkeeper to receive the recognition. Williams was a menace defensively all season long for the Pride. In his 14 starts, Williams led the GLIAC in goals against average (0.79), save percentage (0.831), and shutouts (8) which were all career-highs. He also ended the season with a career-best 54 saves. His goals against average put him Top-20 in the NCAA and save percentage notched at 11th in the country. Williams helped lead the Pride to an 8-3-4 overall record and was GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week twice this season.
GLIAC Freshman of the Year was awarded to Northern Michigan forward Jaziel Sainz de Vilmorin (San Diego, California). Jaziel made an immediate impact on the Wildcat roster, as his first career goal came as a game-winner at home in the 86th minute, and would go on to finish fourth in points on the Wildcat roster. Jaziel played in all 16 matches for the Wildcats, including earning a starting spot in 11 of the ‘Cats final 12 matches, and finished with over 1,000 minutes of playing time.
Jason Zitzke of Parkside was selected as GLIAC Coach of the Year. Zitzke has been a part of the Rangers coaching staff since 1999 and was promoted to head coach in 2003. The 2010 Parkside Hall of Fame inductee has taken the men’s soccer program to six NCAA Tournament appearances including appearances in 2021 and 2022. 2023 was his 13th season at the helm of the program and coached the Rangers to a 9-4-2 overall record and a 7-2-1 record in the GLIAC. The Rangers clinched the GLIAC Regular Season Championship and led the GLIAC in a multitude of categories including total goals (31), points per game (5.93), and shots on goal per game (7.8). The Rangers also hauled in five GLIAC Player of the Week awards during the 2023 season. This is Zitzke’s third GLIAC Coach of the Year award, earning the honor back in 2019 and 2021.
A complete list of the 2023 All-GLIAC men's soccer teams is below:
2023 First Team All-GLIAC
Hugo Lorenzo, Forward, Purdue Northwest
Vitalis Takawira Jr., Forward, Davenport
Mzo Mthembu, Forward, Saginaw Valley State
Jules Peycelon, Midfielder, Parkside
Alejandro Martinez, Midfielder, Parkside
Donna Khewsa, Midfielder, Saginaw Valley State
Mike Howell, Defender, Parkside
Mario Bolado, Defender, Parkside
Nic Baigrie, Defender, Davenport
Felix Tom, At-Large, Saginaw Valley State
Eligh Williams, Goalkeeper, Purdue Northwest
2023 Second Team All-GLIAC
Christopher Estrada, Forward, Parkside
Jacob Battista, Forward, Purdue Northwest
Andrew Dykstra, Forward, Davenport
Jan Hoffman, Midfielder, Northern Michigan
Faheem Patel, Midfielder, Davenport
Philip Caputo, Midfielder, St. Cloud State
Vukota Mastilovic, Defender, St. Cloud State
Martin Murillo, Defender, Purdue Northwest
Kalvin Glodz, Defender, Northern Michigan
Flavio Nardecchia, At-Large, Purdue Northwest
Dylan De Baldo, Goalkeeper, St. Cloud State
2023 Honorable Mention All-GLIAC
George Deveau, Davenport
Keegan Schmidt, Northern Michigan
Edgar Heredia, Parkside
Ryan Moran, Purdue Northwest
Alex Demorrow, Saginaw Valley State
Owen Worsdell, St. Cloud State
