The 2023 All-Cal Pac Men’s Soccer Teams

The 2023 All California Pacific Conference Men's Soccer Teams once again have a strong international flavor.  Six of the 11 voted to the First Team are from abroad, and seven of the 11 on the Second Team, a trend that has been moving up in the conference over the past several years.  One team that has benefited from the influx of foreign students is Westcliff, this year's Cal Pac regular season champion.  The Warriors are ranked No. 15 in the NAIA and second-place UC Merced received votes in the latest national poll.  How dominant were the top two seeds in the postseason tournament?  Seven of the 22 on the First and Second Teams played for Westcliff, and of the remaining 15, six wore a UC Merced jersey.

Player of the Year honors went to WU's John Adekunle.  The senior forward led the Cal Pac in Points (48) and was second in Goals (17) and Assists (14), and third in Shots on Goal (30).  Joining Adekunle on the Warriors' front line is Wissem Obeid, the conference Offensive Player of the Year who topped the Cal Pac in Goals (18), Shots on Goal (34), and was second in Points (45).  A third Warrior was selected by Cal Pac coaches for an individual award, Jussi Gerberding was named the Defensive Player of the Year.  Additionally, in his first year at the helm at Westcliff, Randy Dodge was named Coach of the Year by his peers.

The Freshman of the Year is Embry-Riddle's Francesco Busini, a defender on one of the league's top defensive squads, and the Newcomer of the Year is UC Merced's Daniel Borges.  An interesting side note on Borges:  while they were two years apart in high school, Borges and UCM's Xavier Barajas played together at Pitman High School one season, and four years later they are both All-Cal Pac First Team picks.  Barajas also was voted to the First Team last season.

Many All-Cal Pac members have been recognized before.  ERAU's Lucas Garcia, last year's Offensive Player of the Year, was a First Team pick in 2022 and an Honorable Mention in 2021.   WU's Quentin Hornung was voted to the 2023 Second Team after a 2021 season where he was recognized as the Player of the Year, a First Team pick, and an Honorable Mention All-American.  UCM's Michael De La Cruz was named to the First Team this season, an honor he received in 2021, and in 2020 he was picked to the Second Team.

Soka's Noah Alexander was a First Team selection this year, a Second Team pick in 2022, and an Honorable Mention in 2021.  Another First Team member, UCM's Brycen Miller, was an Honorable Mention in 2021.

UCM's Kevin Capetillo was voted to the Second Team in 2023, an Honorable Mention in 2022, and in 2020 he was named to the Second Team.  WU's Janis Hinterleitner, a Second Team pick this year, was on the 2022 First Team, and teammate Noah Schwengeler repeated as a Second Team selection this season.

INDIVIDUIAL AWARDS

PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  John Adekunle (Westcliff)

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Wissem Obeid (Westcliff)

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR:  Jussi Gerberding (Westcliff)

NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR:  Daniel Borges (UC Merced)

FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR:  Francesco Busini (Embry-Riddle)

COACH OF THE YEAR:  Randy Dodge (Westcliff)

ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS

First Team

Second Team

Honorable Mention

Antelope Valley:  Josue Celio.  Benedictine-Mesa:  Pelaelo Mahloko.  Cal Maritime:  Jose Diaz, Luka Bilaver.  Embry-Riddle:  Josh McBeth.  La Sierra:  Rafael Rivera, Caden Bennett.  Pacific Union:  Mickyaw Beyene.  Providence Christian:  Elijiah Vanderveen.  Saint Katherine:  Erik Herrera, Bill Sanchez, Christian Vega.  Simpson:  Daniel Morales, Jaime Velasco, Mohammad Salaymeh.  Soka:  Adalid Oregon, Rudy Garcia.  UC Merced:  Cristian Gaona.