Men's soccer places nine on All-SAA teams, Waegelin earns top defensive honor

The Southern Athletic Association men's soccer coaches voted nine members of the Oglethorpe men's soccer team onto the All-SAA teams, released Nov. 11 by the league office.

In addition, senior defender Christian Waegelin earned SAA Defensive Player of the Year honors, marking the fifth straight season in which a member of the team has earned a conference postseason award. He joined senior forward Ryan Marcano, as well as senior midfielders Andrew Grodhaus and Josh Bronstorph, on the All-SAA first team. Senior midfielder Gabe Alvarez, senior defender Sebastian Carlson and sophomore forward Abraham Lopez garnered spots on the second team, while freshmen goalkeeper Ulises Rodriguez and forward James Williams earned honorable mention.

Waegelin capped an outstanding four-year career with the league's top defensive award. This marked his third career All-SAA honor and his second consecutive first-team nod. He served as an essential part of a defensive unit that currently sits third in the SAA over the course of the season with a 1.11 team goals-against average. That unit is also third in the conference with just 19 goals allowed and a .333 shutout percentage over the course of the campaign. The Petrel senior tallied a pair of goals and three assists on the season, as well.

Marcano garnered the second All-SAA first team selection of his career this season. The Petrel offensive standout finished tied for first in the SAA in penalty-kick conversion rate, burying a perfect 3 for 3. He also finished third in goals per game (0.57), fourth in points per game (1.47) and total goals (10), and sixth in total points (22).

Grodhaus has been a stalwart at holding midfield all four season with the Petrels. He's earned All-SAA honors all four seasons he's played for Oglethorpe and nabbed first-team accolades in back-to-back campaigns. This season, he scored three goals and tallied three assists out of his defensive midfield spot, scoring the game-winning goal against Centre in the team's 3-1 win on Sept. 28.

Bronstorph bagged his first career All-SAA honor in this, his senior season. He's currently tops in the conference in assists per game with 0.56. He also holds the top spot in total assists with 10. Those marks put him 21st and 25th in the nation, respectively.

Alvarez earned All-SAA second team honors in all four of his seasons as a Petrel. He's second in the conference in assists per game (0.53) and total assists (8), fourth in points per game (1.47), fifth in shots per game (3.53) and sixth in total points (22).

Carlson took his second career All-SAA honor and his first second-team nod. He tied with Marcano for tops in the league in penalty conversion rate, knocking one home on Sept. 8 in the team's 5-1 victory over Gordon. In addition, Carlson served as an essential part of the Petrel back line while scoring four goals and tallying an assist over the course of the season. He also recorded a pair of game-winning goals, one coming against Rhodes on Oct. 18 and the other against Berry in the SAA semifinals on Friday.

Lopez had an outstanding season in his second with the Petrels, taking home his first career All-SAA honor in the process. He's currently second in the conference in shot accuracy, putting 57.1 percent of his shots on frame. In addition, he's third in three categories: points per game (1.47), total goals (11) and total points (25). He's fourth in goals per game with 0.65.

Rodriguez earned his first career All-SAA nod in this, his freshman season. He's second in the SAA in goals-against average (0.91). He's also third in save percentage (.756) and shutouts (4).

Williams also garnered All-SAA honorable mention for his work during his freshman campaign. He sits seventh in the SAA in goals per game (0.50) and total goals (9).

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