The Kalamazoo College men's soccer team had four individuals collect All-MIAA honors as released by the conference on Tuesday (Nov. 1). The Hornets finished fifth in the MIAA with a 2-2-3 conference record, making it to the MIAA Tournament for the fifth consecutive season.
Travis Barclay was the lone representative for Kalamazoo on the first team after a great season as a right-back defender. Paul Kearis and Shun Yonehara patrolled the midfield for the Hornets and joined forward Emilio Romo on the second team. This selection is Romo's and Yonehara's second straight year earning All-MIAA honors.
Hailing from Jackson, Mich. (Jackson HS), Barclay appeared in all 19 games, including 15 starts. The senior and team captain collected three assists on the offensive end, two of which came in conference play. He showed a great ability to advance the ball down the sideline and play a cross into the box to create scoring chances. In addition, the defense only surrendered one goal per game while collecting six shutouts.
The Northville, Mich. (Northville HS) native was a big presence in the midfield, constantly moving the ball forward for the offense. As a senior, Kearis started in all 19 games and helped out the back line as a defensive midfielder. He took pressure off the back line by keeping the ball out of the middle of the field and moving it up the sides of the field to his forwards.
On the opposite side of the midfield, Yonehara created scoring chances for his forwards consistently. As a junior from Geneva, Ill. (Geneva HS), he appeared in 18 games with 16 starts and collected two assists. Yonehara was also known for his precise timing in using a slide tackle to regain possession for the Hornets. This recognition makes it back-to-back second-team selections for the junior midfielder.
Romo, the senior forward from Sylmar, Calif. (Sylmar HS), rounds out the honorees. Despite playing in 15 of the 19 games, Romo led the team with four goals and added an assist for nine points. Two of the four goals were game-winners against Elmhurst and Adrian, as the other two contributed to ties against Lake Forest and Trine. This is the second time Romo has been an All-MIAA selection after being on the first team last season.
"Travis is a talented and relentless performer, deserving of his All-MIAA First Team honor. He wears his heart on his sleeve and will always give you everything he has," said Head Coach Lumumba Shabazz. "Paul and Shun were a bit unfortunate in this regard, being they were our most consistent players all season long and played at a first team level. All those players, including Emilio, were huge parts of what has made us successful in the past, and their injuries curtailed what we could have achieved this season. They are all exceptional young men, and any team at our level would be pleased to have them on their roster. On behalf of our program, I say congratulations to them all."
The Hornets finished their season this past weekend in the MIAA Tournament against Albion, falling in double-overtime.