KANSAS CITY--Five WAC men's soccer players have been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Continental Tire All-Far West Region team. Seattle U's Miguel Gonzalez earned first team honors, Houston Baptist's Kristopher Tyrpak was a second team honoree and Seattle U's Jake Feener, UNLV's Sal Bernal and Houston Baptist's Walter Kromholz were named to the third team.
Gonzalez, the Western Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in shots, shots per game, points, points per game, goals, and game-winning goals in the team’s first year in the conference. He was also named to the WAC All-Tournament team after scoring the equalizing goal in the team’s come-from-behind win versu San Jose State in the title game on Nov. 17.
Tyrpak was also named First Team All-Conference in 2013. He led the team with seven assists and was second on the squad with 17 points. He had one game-winner, which came in a 2-0 win at Grand Canyon on Oct. 11.
Feener, who was named MVP of the WAC Tournament, was also named First Team All-Conference. Feener leads the country in saves with 161, 41 more than the next best player in the nation, and is also tops in saves per game 6.71. Feener finished first in the WAC in shutouts (5) and save percentage (.821).
Kromholz, a First Team All-Conference selections, was one of only two Huskies to start in all 18 matches and never missed a minute of action in 2013. Kromholz set new career highs this season with three goals and seven points. He scored the game winner in overtime at Army on Sept. 22.
Bernal earned all-region honors for the second straight year. He became the first Rebel to be selected all-region twice since Kelly Frederick in 2001 and 2002, as Bernal was also a third-team honoree in 2012. Bernal became only the third player in team history to earn three first team all-conference honors, as he was selected to the All-WAC First Team after two seasons as a first-team selection in the MPSF.
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