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News
Cougars to Honor Four Seniors on Saturday
at Halftime
written by Dave Parsons, Sports Information Director
MOUNT VERNON, Ohio (10-22-2011) - The Mount
Vernon Nazarene University men's soccer team
will honor its four senior plays at halftime
of the Cougars' home and Mid-Central College
Conference finale against Grace (Ind.)
College that will kick off at 2 p.m. at
Cougar Field.
Over the past four years, this group of
seniors has helped lead the MVNU men's
soccer team to a 54-26-7 overall record
(.661 winning percentage). The Cougars
captured the National Christian College
Athletic Association East Region Tournament
title in 2009 and advanced all the way to
the NAIA National Championship Final Four in
2008. In the classroom, these four players
have combined to average a 3.19 grade point
average.
Eric Appiah, a
forward/defender from Asamankese, Ghana, has
seen action in 60 matches over the past
three seasons since transferring to MVNU and
has made 41 starts. The former Aggrey
Memorial High School product has tallied two
goals and five assists during his career. He
was named to the NCCAA All-National
Tournament Team in 2009 and the American
Mideast Conference Honorable Mention list in
2010.
"Eric has a true passion for
the game of soccer, MVNU, and his
teammates," said MVNU coach Andrew Belleman.
"He brings an enthusiasm and energy to our
team whether he has been healthy enough to
play or not this year. Wherever we have
asked him to play, he hasn't hesitated or
questioned, especially when we asked him to
play up top. He just wants to be on the
field to help his team win. I am so
impressed with him. He genuinely loves
Christ and exemplifies the joy of the Lord.
I have been blessed to be a small part of
his journey here at MVNU, and I know the
Lord has big things for him."
Kyle
Maxam, a midfielder from Liberty Township,
Ohio, has played in 86 matches over the past
four years and made 50 starts. The former
Lakota West High School star has scored
eight career goals and notched seven career
assists.
"Kyle is a true picture of
consistency," said Belleman. "He might be
soft-spoken, but he is a competitor. He
can't wait to train and prepare for each
match. He does a nice job of finding the
ball and moving it side to side. Midway
through the season, we asked him to play a
role that he had not done for maybe four
years. Again, he just wanted to do whatever
he could to help the team succeed. He is
also a true student-athlete. I know he has
big goals of what he is going to do when he
graduates from MVNU, and I am confident he
will be able to accomplish all of them."
Steve Wilging, a defender from
Mansfield, Ohio, has been a stalwart on the
back line for the Cougars as he has appeared
in 62 matches with 52 starts over the past
four years. The former Mansfield Christian
School standout has scored one goal in his
career and registered four assists. The
defense has posted 37 shutouts during his
four years, and he has played a large role
in that success.
"Steve is such a
tough player," said Belleman. "He can
absolutely dominate a match, and that is
saying something because he is a center
back. He frustrates opposing players by not
allowing them to get behind him, and he is
so tough in the air. I know he has battled
injuries and distractions this fall, but he
has still been able to play through all of
that and help lead some of the younger
players. He has a great perspective on
difficult situations. In my interactions
with him, he has always pointed us back to
scripture. I know that he has a very bright
future both professionally and personally."
Chris Allen, a forward from St.
Catherine, Jamaica, has played in 79 matches
over the past four years with 69 starts. The
former Kingston College High School star is
tied for eighth place in school history with
88 career points, ranks ninth with 31 career
goals scored, and is tied for ninth with 26
career assists. He has twice been named to
the AMC Second Team, was selected to the
NCCAA All-National Tournament Team in 2009,
and was chosen as an NCCAA Honorable Mention
All-American in 2010.
"Chris is a
dynamic player who can take over a match,"
said Belleman. "He has speed, creativity,
and vision. Even more importantly, he loves
this game maybe more than anyone I've ever
been around. This infectious energy is felt
by the whole team without him having to say
anything. Because of his love for the game,
he has an expectation of how the game should
be played and he holds us to that. I know
that Chris has had an interesting journey
here at MVNU in how he got here and how he
survived here, but all I know is this fall
seasons and I have to say that I am so
impressed with his attitude, demeanor, and
ability to lead. Like our other seniors, he
plays for the right reasons. He plays first
for his Heavenly Father and then his
brothers on the team."
The Cougars
will enter Saturday's match with a 7-8-1
overall record and a 3-5 MCC mark. They have
already clinched a berth in the MCC
Tournament that starts next Saturday, but a
win on Saturday over Grace would allow them
to finish in a three-way tie for fifth place
in the regular-season standings.
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