Steps Forward
WATERTOWN, Wis. -- There's no doubt about it - the 2019 Sabercats Men's Soccer Team took steps forward.
After finishing the regular season above .500 for the first time in five years, the team earned an at-large bid to the NCCAA DII National Tournament, marking a memorable end to nine four-year careers and a fitting sendoff to some 14 seniors.
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Steps Forward
Last season was frustrating for the team, as they were handed five one-goal losses in a winless opening stretch of the season, but their resilience paid off last year and their persistence was rewarded this year, as they got some overdue results. It started with a 2-1 overtime win over Emmaus Bible College, then back-to-back shutout wins against Faith Baptist (4-0) and Lakeland (2-0) launched the Sabercats into the rest of a competitive season.
The Sabercats entered the NCCAA North Region Tournament with only three losses in their last 12 games, but their hopes at the regional title were stopped short at the first hurdle - Moody Bible Institute took home a 2-0 win in the North Region Semifinal.
But it wouldn't end there, as the Sabercats' power rating earned them a place at the national stage for the first time since 2014. As it turned out, the Sabercats were drawn into the "group of death" as they fell to the #1-seeded Randall University Saints and the #4-seeded Pensacola Christian College Eagles, who eventually won the national title in overtime.
All in all, the season was one to remember, as the Sabercats finished with a top-six nationals finish and plenty to remember in the 2019 season.
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At a Glance
- Record: 8-9-2
- NCCAA Record: 6-4-0
- NCCAA Finish: National Pool Play
- Home Record: 5-4-1
- Notable: 14 seniors on the roster
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Awards
At Tuesday's Athletic Awards Assembly, the Sabercats announced their team awards, which are voted on by the team and are based on the team's CORE BELIEF DOCUMENT. In addition to these honors, the student-athletes earned awards from the National Christian College Athletic Association.
A complete breakdown of the awards is listed below:
| CORE BELIEF AWARDS | RECIPIENT |
| Process Award | Teddy Kincaid |
| Qualities of the Heart Award | Caleb Hockema |
| Qualities of the Mind Award | Austin DeAngelo |
| Qualities of Action Award | Asa St. Lawrence |
| Jamie O'Dell Leadership Award | Kevin Risma |
| NCCAA All-Region Selections | |
| Tim Kinzler | Asa St. Lawrence |
| Zeke Steuerwald | |
| NCCAA All-American 2nd Team Selection | |
| Zeke Steuerwald | |
| NCCAA Scholar-Athletes (JR, SR, GS only) | |
| Eldiiar Amankulov | Kevin Burns |
| Nathan Campbell | Austin DeAngelo |
| Garrett Gleason | Teddy Kincaid |
| Tim Kinzler | Tyler Nelson |
| Kevin Risma | Stephen Roer |
| Joel Shepard | Asa St. Lawrence |
| Zeke Steuerwald |
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For more on the program, visit their team page HERE.
