GRANTHAM, Pa. – Last week, d3soccer.com announced their All-American teams for the 2022 seasons for both men's and women's soccer. The Falcons earned five total honors with the men's program picking up three, including a Forward of the Year honor for
Matt McDonald and the women earning a pair of accolades.
On the men's side,
Matt McDonald and
Luke Groothoff earned First Team accolades with
Jake Lent-Koop picked up Second Team accolades. For the women,
Kristina Akselsen earned a First Team honor in the midfield while
Jenna Skurcenski was named a Second Team defender.
Men's Honors
Matt McDonald was named a First Team All-American and claimed Forward of the Year honors after a stellar campaign in the front of the Falcons' attack. McDonald becomes the eighth Messiah men's soccer player to earn player of the year honors from d3soccer.com. As the spearhead of the nation's most potent attack, McDonald was tireless and relentless in running at defenses, using pace and physicality to his advantage. His 23 goals and 52 points were both first (tie) in the country helping undefeated Messiah to top marks with 4.14 goals per game and 91 total goals scored. The senior converted nearly a quarter of his shots with well over half his attempts being on frame. In the first six games of the season, McDonald already matched his 2021 tally of eight goals and would score in 17 of 22 games. He scored seven game-opening goals and another two go-ahead goals. Of his six assists, two set-up opening scores and another a game-winner. The MAC Commonwealth named McDonald their Offensive Player of the Year while the United Soccer Coaches voted him Player of the Year and a First Team Scholar All-American.
In the midfield,
Luke Groothoff earned his second-career All-American nod from d3soccer.com. His creative play and tactical skill allowed Groothoff to net six goals and assist on five others during the 2022 campaign. Beyond his goals and assists, Groothoff's area of impact on the field was great. Whether it was push forward on attack or holding possession for the Falcons and steading play in the midfield, he was always making his impact on the game felt.
Jake Lent-Koop earns his second-straight All-American nod from d3soccer.com after a stellar season as the Falcons starting centerback. The Rio Rancho, N.M. native, anchored Messiah's defense that allowed just 13 goals on the season for a 0.59 goals against average. His six-foot, three-inch frame allowed him to go toe-to-toe with and forward in the country as well as push forward and be a dangerous target on set pieces. In addition to his defensive abilities, Lent-Koop found the back of the net on six occasions and dished out one assist, finishing the year with 13 points.
Women's Honors
For Akselsen and Skurcenski, the All-American honors are the first of their careers. Both honors follow First Team All-American honors from United Soccer Coaches earlier this season. With Skurcenski anchoring the defense, Messiah has allowed just nine goals on the season and only two since the middle of October. Prior to the Elite Eight game against WashU, Messiah had a 10-match shutout streak going.
With defensive-minded Akselsen and Skurcenski, Messiah has held opponents to a 0.52 goals against average while tallying just 53 shots on goal in the entire season. As a whole, opponents attempted just 126 shots, an average of just 5.00 per game. A testament to the stellar defensive and midfield play the Falcons have seen all season from Akselsen and Skurcenski.
