The Western Athletic Conference has announced the men’s soccer postseason award winners, as selected by the league’s head coaches, and Seattle University men’s soccer earned four honorees between the first and second teams, second most of any conference team.
Hamza Haddadi (Shoreline, Wash.), Ian Hines-Ike (Littleton, Colo.), and Kyle Bjornethun (Snohomish, Wash.) were named First Team All-Conference while Shane Haworth (Puyallup, Wash.) represented Seattle U on the Second Team All-Conference.
Haddadi recorded a five-game scoring streak from Oct. 24-Nov. 7, with his most dramatic and impactful goal on Nov. 7 at San Jose State, the game-winner in the 89th minute of the 3-2 victory. He leads the Redhawks in scoring with seven goals going into this weekend’s tournament.
Hines-Ike, named to the WAC All-Tournament team last season en route to the Redhawks’ WAC tournament title, ranks second for the Redhawks with four goals and six assists for 16 points in 2014 thus far. This is Hines-Ike’s second straight First Team All-Conference honor in as many opportunities, also named in 2013.
Bjornethun, the 2013 WAC Freshman of the Year, scored his first career goal on Oct. 12 in the 3-0 shutout vs. Grand Canyon and drove home the game winner in the 1-0 double overtime thriller vs. Utah Valley on Oct. 18. As a defender, he has recorded three goals and one assists this season.
Haworth has started and played every minute in goal for the Redhawks this season, recording nine shutouts through regular season play. He ranks in the top 10 in the nation in total saves (92) and ranks 15th in saves per game (5.11) going into this weekend.
The Redhawks look to defend their 2013 WAC tournament title this weekend as they host the league tournament on Nov. 13, 14, and 16. Earning the No. 2 seed a first round bye, Seattle U take the field in the semifinals on Friday, Nov. 14 at 7:30 pm vs. the winner of No. 3 Utah Valley and No. 6 Bakersfield.
All-session passes for the tournament, hosted by Seattle U at Championship Field, are on sale at www.goseattleu.com/sutickets or by calling the Redhawk ticket office at (206) 398-GOSU. Single game tickets are on sale at the ticket booth at the corner of 14th and E Cherry starting 60 minutes prior to each kickoff.
First Team All-Conference
Julian Zamora (Bakersfield)
Salvador Bernal (UNLV)
Hamza Haddadi (Seattle U)
Christian Duarte (Bakersfield)
Alex de la Garza (Incarnate Word)
Julian Portugal (UNLV)
Ian Hines-Ike (Seattle U)
Kyle Mellies (UNLV)
Kyle Bjornethun (Seattle U)
Alex Neff (Utah Valley)
Ryan Harding (UNLV)
Second Team All-Conference
Dylan Kelly (Incarnate Word)
Rory Knibbs (San Jose State)
Alberto Sanchez-Garcia (Grand Canyon)
Rodrigo Fuentes (UNLV)
Joe Masumiya (Bakersfield)
Gustavo Alvarado (Houston Baptist)
Tayna Chiaparro (UMKC)
Jonathan Colunga (San Jose State)
Jonathan Camarena (Incarnate Word)
Guerrero Pino (UMKC)
Joe Brown (Incarnate Word)
Shane Haworth (Seattle U)
Offensive Player of the Year: Salvador Bernal, Sr., F, UNLV
Defensive Player of the Year: Kyle Mellies, Sr., D, UNLV
Freshman of the Year: Julian Zamora, F, Bakersfield
Coach of the Year: Rich Ryerson, UNLV