KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Late last week the United Soccer Coaches announced their All-American teams for the Division III men's soccer season. Among the honorees were a pair of Falcons with
Matt McDonald and
Ben Vollmer claiming honors. For the second-straight season, McDonald was named a First Team All-American while Vollmer's first-career nod was a Second Team accolade.
Matt McDonald becomes just the sixth player in Messiah men's soccer history with multiple First Team All-American nods. Jeremy Payne is the lone men's soccer player with three First Team All-American honors, earning spots on the team in 2012, 2013, and 2014.
A year removed from his National Player of the Year accolade; McDonald started a bit slow for his standards on the goal scoring front in 2023, but turned it on when the calendar turned to October. McDonald finished with a team-high 13 goals and three assists for 29 total points, but scored 10 goals after the start of October. Beginning with a match against Widener on Oct. 7, McDonald scored in seven-straight games and nine of the final 10 games of his season. His seven-match scoring streak is tied for the fourth-longest streak in program history and the longest of his career. McDonald had a knack for finding the back of the net in the big moments. He scored eight game-winning goals on the year, the second most in Division III this season.
Ben Vollmer was named the MAC Commonwealth Defensive Player of the Year this season and followed up that honor with First Team All-Region and Second Team All-American laurels. The senior started all 22 games on a defensive unit that allowed just seven goals on the year. Messiah's 0.326 goals against average was the second lowest in the country with Vollmer and company playing a big part in that effort. Opposing offenses attempted just 100 shots on the season, averaging just 4.5 attempts per game. Vollmer was a constant presence, felt primarily by opponents in the defensive third and midfield, seemingly getting a first touch on every ball played forward. Additionally, Vollmer also scored his first career goal this season, netting a header in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament against Baruch on Nov. 11.
With All-American honors for McDonald and Vollmer, Messiah men's soccer now has 51 All-American honors in program history.
The Falcons finished the 2023 season with a 20-1-1 overall record, winning the MAC Commonwealth Championship for the fifth-straight season, and advancing to the NCAA Tournament's Second Round.
