Grinnell All-Conference Soccer (Men and Women)
GRINNELL, Iowa – Already a repeat CoSIDA Academic All-District® repeat selection, Grinnell College men’s soccer player Jasper Yang ’21 has now claimed back-to-back All-Midwest Conference first team honors.
Yang ranked among the Midwest Conference leaders this season in goals scored (12), points (30), assists (six), shots on goal (37) and shots (58). His .638 shot accuracy rate is 21st nationally. The shots on goal total ranks second in Pioneer program history, the shots total is fourth and the goals count is tied for 10th.
With a season yet to play, Yang is seventh in career goals scored at Grinnell with 28 and ninth in points with 65.
Adetayo Adefioye and Alessandro Benelli of Knox College were the MWC Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Jaxon Coleman of Monmouth College was Newcomer of the Year and the Fighting Scots’ Kooten Johnson the Coach of the Year. Ripon College won the Sportsmanship Award.
GRINNELL, Iowa – Valencia Alvarez ’20 and Lauren Edwards ’20 joined just a handful of Grinnell College women’s soccer players to be earn All-Midwest Conference honors three times by landing on the 2019 squad today.
They are just the 13th and 14th players to collect All-MWC recognition three times and the first since Katy Oldach did so between 2013-15.
Alvarez earned a spot on the All-MWC first team for the second time, while Edwards and Simo Bambi ’20 were second-team selections. This is the first time Bambi earned All-MWC honors.
Alvarez, a forward, was a force on offense for the Pioneers while scoring three goals and recording two assists. She ranked among the league’s top 10 in shots with 2.84 per game and finished ninth in school history with career shots on goal with 72 and 10th in shots with 156. For her career, she scored 16 goals and had 14 assists for 46 points.
Edwards sparked the team’s back line from her defender spot, leading the Pioneers to seven shutouts this season while allowing just over one goal per game. In her career, she has helped Grinnell to 24 shutouts.
Bambi, a forward, complemented Alvarez on an offense that produced a seven-goal match this season and also a five-goal output. She had an assist this season and for her career had 10 goals and eight assists.
Monmouth College’s Kara-Jade Gordon was named the MWC Offensive Player of the Year and Annie Peterson of Knox College the Defensive Player of the Year. Jenna Li of Knox was tabbed Newcomer of the Year and Monmouth’s Nick Rizzo the Coach of the Year. Ripon College claimed the Sportsmanship Award.
