MERCED. Calif. --Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (Ariz.) closed out the regular season with great news, as their own Simon Jensen (JR/Boras, Sweden) was presented with the California Pacific Conference Defender of the Year Award at the 2019 Cal Pac Championship Banquet Wednesday night. Three of Jensen's teammates made the All-Cal Pac teams and head coach Dan Balaguero was given the Cal Pac Coach of the Year.
Jensen was one of the most productive Eagles all season and was well deserving of the Defender of the Year award. This was Jensen's third season and has been voted Cal Pac First Team two seasons in a row now. Jensen scored five goals this season and was one of only two Eagles to play in all 18 games.
Joining Jensen as the other Eagle on the All-Cal Pac First Team was Mason Laaksonen (SR/Austin, Texas). This is Laaksonen's second time voted first team, his first coming his freshmen year in 2016. Laaksonen was also Cal PacFreshmen of the Year in 2016. Laaksonen ends his career with the Eagles at 17th overall in NAIA for goals and goals per game.
Sergio Monteiro (JR/Malaga, Spain) was the first of Eagles' defenders to be voted for All-Cal Pac Second Team this season. The Spaniard has been a huge part of the offense this season as well, his pace on the flanks opens up acres of space for the attack to work. This was Monteiro's first year making an All-Cal Pac team.
The last of the Eagles voted to All-Cal Pac Second Team was Monteiro's fellow defender, Jarred Petersen (JR/Caldicot, England). This was also Peterson's first year making an All-Cal Pac roster. Peterson played in an impressive 17 of the Eagles' matches with one goal on the season.
After leading the Eagles to 9-2 in conference play and second place in Cal Pac, head coach Balaguero received the Cal Pac Coach of the Year.
The full list of teams and awards are below:
INDIVIDUAL AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE YEAR |MARCOS CEBALLOS|UC Merced
2019 Cal Pac rankings: #3 in Goals (16); #5 in Shots on Goal per Game (2.06); #6 in Pointer per Game (1.94); #6 in Points (35); #6 in Goals per Game (0.89); #7 in Shots per Game (3.61); #8 in Game Winning Goals (2); #17 in Game Winning Goals per Game (0.11)
2019 NAIA rankings: #20 in Goals (16); #29 in Goals per Game (0.89); #35 in Shots on Goal per Game (2.06); #36 in Points (35); #43 in Points per Game (1.94); #45 in Shot per Game (3.61)
DEFENDER OF THE YEAR |SIMON JENSEN|Embry-Riddle
Previous postseason honors: 2018 First Team; 2017 Honorable Mention
2019 Cal Pac rankings: #18 in Assists per Game (0.28); #11 in Assists (5)
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR |JOEL STERLING|Simpson
2019 Cal Pac rankings: #10 in Goals (9)
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR |DONOVAHNN DUHANEY|Benedictine-Mesa
2019 Cal Pac rankings: #4 in Game Winning Goals (3); #5 in Game Winning Goals per Game (0.17); #10 in Goals (9); #11 in Goals per Game (0.50); #13 in Points (21); #18 in Points per Game (1.17)
COACH OF THE YEAR |DAN BALAGUERO|Embry-Riddle
This is Balaguero's first honor, coming in his third season at ERAU.
2019 ALL CONFERENCE TEAMS
First Team
Player | School | Year | Pos. | Hometown |
Giancarlo Canas | Antelope Valley | JR | CM | Los Angeles, Calif. |
Marcos Ceballos | UC Merced | SO | W | Lindsay, Calif. |
Miguel Coronado | UC Merced | SR | M | Bakersfield, Calif. |
Yauri De Groot | Soka University of America | SR | CM | Den Bosch, Netherlands |
Agustin Guerrero | UC Merced | SO | D | Stockton, Calif. |
Simon Jensen** | Embry-Riddle | JR | CB | Boras, Sweden |
Mo Kinteh | Benedictine-Mesa | SR | F | Las Vegas, Nev. |
Mason Laaksonen** | Embry-Riddle | SR | F | Austin, Tex. |
Rodolfo Prado | UC Merced | SO | D | Bakersfield, Calif. |
Raul Sanchez** | Benedictine-Mesa | SR | CB | Las Vegas, Nev. |
Marco Sobrevilla | UC Merced | SO | GK | Lindsay, Calif. |
Second Team
Player | School | Year | Pos. | Hometown |
Ivan Ceballos | UC Merced | JR | MF | Lindsay, Calif. |
Huseyin Celik | Antelope Valley | JR | CB | Oslo, Norway |
Gerardo De La Torre | Soka University of America | SO | F | Los Angeles, Calif. |
Donovahnn Duhaney | Benedictine-Mesa | FR | MF | Chandler, Ariz. |
Ramon Garcia | Marymount California | SR | GK | Huntington Park, Calif. |
Kevin Martinez | Antelope Valley | SR | F | Los Angeles, Calif. |
Josip Mijic | Marymount California | JR | D | Split, Croatia |
Sergio Monteiro | Embry-Riddle | JR | D | Malaga, Spain |
Jarred Peterson | Embry-Riddle | JR | D | Caldicot, England |
Angel Ramirez | Benedictine-Mesa | JR | GK | Tempe, Ariz. |
Joel Sterling | Simpson | JR | F | Kingston, Jamaica |
Israel Vasquez | La Sierra | SR | MF | Lake Elsinore, Calif. |
Honorable Mention
Antelope Valley: Ahmon Anderson.Embry-Riddle:Jacob Baker,Lucas Garcia,Chiedu Ikeme.La Sierra: Pedro Blaquier, Nathan Montz, Ivan Villagrana.Marymount California: Josh Bynoe, Cade Flanagan.Pacific Union: Franco Martinez, Moise Salinas.Providence Christian: Nikola Vinski.Sierra Nevada: Joao Mendes.Simpson: Alexis Rodriguez Salcedo.Soka University of America: Chase Buchert.UC Merced: Bryan Henriquez Rivera, Ricardo Rosas.
