A fine season that has resulted in a top-two seed for the conference tournament has resulted in a bevy of Kalamazoo College men's soccer players being recognized with All-MIAA honors.
Three Hornets were honored as first-team members: forward Emilio Romo, midfielder Alex Wallace and defender Mikey Schwartz. Second-team members included forward Aidan Gillig, midfielder Shun Yonehara, defender Colin Halloran and goalkeeper Gavin Houtkooper. Houtkooper was also honored as MIAA Newcomer of the Year.
Romo, a forward from Sylmar, Calif. (Sylmar HS), took a big step forward during his junior season. After scoring a total of two goals in his career prior to this season, he led the team in total goals (10), total points (20) and total shots (51). His 10 total goals tied for third in the MIAA, while his seven tallies in conference play tied him for first place.
Wallace made the step-up to a first-team member after being honored on the second-team his sophomore and junior seasons. The senior midfielder from Davie, Fla. (American Heritage Plantation) finished second on the team in goals (5) and points (11), and tied for third in shots (31).
Schwartz was the third Hornet honored on the All-MIAA first team, and it is a familiar spot for him. This is Schwartz's third-straight appearance on the first team after earning second-team accolades as a freshman. The senior defender from Plymouth, Mich. (Salem HS) was a prime reason the Kalamazoo defense was able to hold opponents to an average of 0.71 goals per game.
In addition to being named to the all-league second team, Gavin Houtkooper, a freshman goalkeeper from Battle Creek, Mich. (Delton Kellogg HS), was honored as MIAA Newcomer of the Year. Houtkooper opened eyes by playing in nine games (eight starts) and racking up the minutes (817:05) and saves (28). He allowed just 0.55 goals per game while sporting a 6-1-2 record. His .848 save percentage was just .002 percentage points off the league lead.
Colin Halloran, a defender from Kalamazoo (Kalamazoo Central HS), was the Hornets' second freshman named as a second-team honoree. In addition to helping with K's stingy defense, Halloran tallied one goal and five assists. His seven points scored were good for a tie for fourth on the team.
Aidan Gillig, a junior forward from Portage, Mich. (Hackett Catholic Prep), made his first appearance as an All-MIAA honoree in 2021. He finished third on the team with a total of nine points scored (four goals, one assist) and tied for third with Wallace with 31 shots.
Shun Yonehara announced himself as another young key piece for the Hornets' present and future success when he was also named to the All-MIAA second-team. The sophomore midfielder from Geneva, Ill. (Geneva HS) started 12 of 16 games (five of seven in conference) and tallied 10 shots and an assist.
"I am extremely proud of these young men and how they've represented our program and our college. They've worked with the utmost diligence and I am overjoyed that they are being recognized and rewarded," said Kalamazoo head coach Lumumba Shabazz. "The true tests lie ahead but let's just celebrate these young men and their teammates who made these accomplishments possible."
The Hornets' season will continue on Wednesday in the MIAA Tournament semifinals when they host a to-be-determined opponent at MacKenzie Field at 6 p.m.