NEW ORLEANS – Marshall redshirt senior forward Milo Yosef was named the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Year to highlight the 2022 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Awards and All-Conference Teams, announced Friday. The honors were voted upon by the league’s nine head coaches.
Player of the Year | Offensive Player of the Year
Milo Yosef, Marshall
(R-Sr. | Aachen, Germany)
Marshall’s Milo Yosef is the Sun Belt Conference Men’s Soccer Player of the Year and Offensive Player of the Year after a standout season that saw him start all 13 matches in which he saw action. The redshirt senior started his season on a high note, recording a hat trick against VCU on August 25 to claim the first Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Yosef continued this momentum throughout the season, recording four multi-point games including two multi-goal efforts. His four game-winning goals tops the conference, while his eight goals ranks second on the Herd and tied for third in the Sun Belt despite missing two matches. The Aachen, Germany, native, finished the regular season ranked second in the conference with 1.46 points per game and 19 points on the season. Yosef’s 39 shots (3.00 shots per game) also ranks third in the Sun Belt.
Defensive Player of the Year
Luis Grassow, Kentucky
(SR | Munich, Germany)
Kentucky’s Luis Grassow played a pivotal role on the Wildcats defensive unit to help lead his squad to an impressive 11-0-5 record and 5-0-3 mark in Sun Belt play. The senior, who started all 16 matches in 2022, saw 1,307 minutes of action and helped the back line to a tied for conference best 0.75 goals-against average. The Munich, Germany, native organized a defensive structure that limited league foes to just six goals in eight matches.
Goalkeeper of the Year
Casper Mols, Kentucky
(FR | Aabenraa, Denmark)
Kentucky’s Casper Mols helped cement the Wildcats first-ever undefeated regular season in program history. He played 967 minutes between the posts, stopping 10 shots and boasting a conference-best 0.73 goals against average in Sun Belt action. The Aabenraa, Denmark, native, wrapped up the regular season on a four-match shutout streak.
Freshman of the Year
Matthew Bell, Marshall
(FR | Kingston, Jamaica)
Marshall’s Matthew Bell had a standout rookie season, starting all 15 matches while leading the Herd and ranking second in the Sun Belt with 22 points (9g, 4a). The Kingston, Jamaica, native, had four multi-point games, including two multi-goal efforts, averaged a conference-best 1.47 points per game, and finished second in the Sun Belt with 47 shots, 22 of which came on goal. The freshman forward was one of just four players on the Marshall squad to start and play in all 15 of the team’s contests.
Newcomer of the Year
Adam Aoumaich, Marshall
(Jr. | Paris, France)
Marshall’s Adam Aoumaich made an immediate impact on the Herd squad, starting 13 of 15 contests. The Paris, France, native, played a major role for Marshall coming down the wing, tallying nine assists on the season, a mark that ranks second in the conference. Aoumaich also recorded two goals to finish the regular season with 13 points. The junior forward had three multi-assist games, tied for the most in the Sun Belt this season, and ended the regular season on a four-game point streak.
Coach of the Year
Johan Cedergren, Kentucky
Kentucky head coach Johan Cedergren earned his first career Sun Belt Coach of the Year accolade. Cedergren led his squad to an impressive 11-0-5 record, 5-0-3 mark in Sun Belt play, to its first-ever undefeated regular season in program history. Kentucky is one of three NCAA Division I men’s soccer programs still undefeated in the nation. Under his direction, the Wildcats finished the regular season ranked No. 2 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, cementing its spot in the Top-10 for the ninth straight week.
The 2022 Sun Belt Men’s Soccer Tournament will take place November 6 – November 13 on campus sites.
First Team All-Conference
F - Milo Yosef, Marshall
F - Eythor Bjorgolfsson, Kentucky
F - Alvaro Garcia-Pascual, Coastal Carolina
F - Matthew Bell, Marshall
MF - Vinicius Fernandes, Marshall
MF - Enzo Mauriz, Kentucky
MF - Simon Carlson, Georgia State
D - Luis Grassow, Kentucky
D - Gabriel Alves, Marshall
D - Robert Screen, Kentucky
GK - Casper Mols, Kentucky
Second Team All-Conference
F - Casper Grening, Kentucky
F - Nick Gutmann, Kentucky
F - Adam Aoumaich, Marshall
MF - Clay Holstad, Kentucky
MF - Alex Krakowiak, James Madison
MF - Luke McCormick, West Virginia
MF - Andrew Erickson, Kentucky
D - Lucca Rodrigues, Kentucky
D - Bjarne Thiesen, West Virginia
D - Peter Dearle, Coastal Carolina
GK - Oliver Semmle, Marshall