WICHITA, Kan. – After securing the program's first regular season KCAC championship since 2006, the Friends University Falcons are deservedly well-represented in the All-KCAC awards and selections, the conference office announced today (Nov. 6).
Head coach Bryan Perez is the KCAC Coach of the Year, with Andrea Xibillia winning Co-Defensive MVP honors (Santiago Mejia, Oklahoma Wesleyan), Eduardo Gomez being named the Newcomer of the Year and Diego Marin receiving the Freshman of the Year award.
Additionally, Xibilla, Gomez and Jose Quiel are first-team All-KCAC selections, with Marin, Erik Huerta and Ben Scognamillo receiving a second-team nod. Keagan Lewis is also an honorable-mention performer for the Falcons.
Perez oversaw quite the turnaround for the Falcons, guiding the team from a 10th place finish last year and out of the conference tournament to the KCAC regular season title and the tourney's No. 1 seed with a 12-1 conference record.
Xibillia was a driving force for the Falcons defensively, helping to anchor 11 shutouts that rank second in the KCAC while adding four goals offensively.
Gomez was the Falcons' leading facilitator this season, dishing out a team-leading nine assists that is third in the conference along with scoring five goals.
Marin is tied for first on the Falcons and tied for fourth in the KCAC with 13 goals that feature a team-high four game-winning scores. He has also accumulated six assists on the season.
Quiel also scored 13 goals and recorded seven assists to lead the Falcons and rank fifth in the KCAC with 33 points.
Huerta was also a big contributor to the Falcon defensive unit this season while adding one goal and two assists, while Scognamillo produced three goals and three assists from the midfield spot.
Lewis posted a solid 1.30 GAA and made 35 saves in his 899 minutes at goalkeeper for Friends.
The top-seeded Falcons are set to host fifth-seeded Saint Mary in a KCAC semifinal match later tonight at 7 pm at Adair-Austin Stadium.
Purchase tickets HERE to catch the Falcons playing for a spot in the KCAC championship match!
