2019 Auggie Awards - Men's Team of the Year Nominees

2019 Auggie Awards Header - Monday, April 22, Si Melby Hall
17059BASKETBALL (19-9 overall, 13-7 MIAC, MIAC playoff finalist) -- For the second straight season, Augsburg advanced to the MIAC playoff championship game from the No. 4 seed. The Auggies made the MIAC postseason playoffs for the fourth straight year and ninth time in the last 11 seasons. It’s the ninth time in the last 11 years that Augsburg has recorded 15 or more victories in a season. The Auggies were led by swingman Booker Coplin, who was named MIAC Player of the Year, All-MIAC first-team and All-Defensive Team, D3hoops.com All-West Region first team and All-America second team, and NABC West District Player of the Year, NABC Coaches’ All-America first team and NABC D-III National Player of the Year. Guard Matt Carik was named to the All-MIAC third team, guard Kevin McKiernan was named to All-MIAC Honorable Mention squad, and center Mark Della Vedova was named to All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.
15672HOCKEY (21-4-3 overall, 13-1-2 MIAC, MIAC playoff champions, NCAA playoff participant) -- Augsburg claimed its most overall wins since the 1997-98 season and its most conference wins since the 1982-83 campaign. The Auggies won the MIAC regular-season title for the second time in the last four years and the 10th time in school history, while claiming its fourth straight MIAC playoff title -- a feat unprecedented in MIAC men’s hockey history -- and earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III national tournament for the fourth year in a row. Head coach Chris Brown was named the MIAC Coach of the Year, for the third time in his career. Goalie Nick Schmidt was named the MIAC Player of the Year and All-MIAC honors, after earning All-MIAC Honorable Mention honors the last two years. Forwards Luke Dietsch and Chandler Madry each earned All-MIAC honors for the second straight year, while defender John O’Connor was named to the All-MIAC squad. Forwards Alex Rodriguez, Tommy Carey and defender Jason Krych all earned All-MIAC honors. Forward Austin Dollimer was named to the MIAC's All-Rookie Team, and forward Lukas Gillett was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team. Rodriguez and O’Connor were also named to the AHCA Division III All-America Team, Rodriguez as a West Region first-team forward and O’Connor as a West Region second-team defender.
15445SOCCER (12-4-4 overall, 6-2-2 MIAC, MIAC playoff finalists, NCAA playoff participant) -- Augsburg claimed its most wins in a single season since the 2010 campaign, advancing to the MIAC playoff championship game and gaining an at-large bid into the NCAA national tournament, for the third time in program history. The Auggies won six of their first seven games, and were 6-2-4 in their final 12 games. Augsburg outscored its opponents by a 40-14 margin and recorded 10 shutouts this season. Defender Daniel Hedstrom earned All-MIAC, D-III All-American, United Soccer Coaches D-III All-North Region first-team and Scholar All-American honors. Forward/defender Emmanual Egbujor and forward Lionel Vang all earned All-MIAC honors, while Vang also earned an United Soccer Coaches D-III All-North Region first-team honor. Defender Luke Falk and goalkeeper Garrett Kaelin were All-MIAC Honorable Mention honorees, while Kaelin was also named a D3soccer.com All-American and and United Soccer Coaches D-III All-North Region second team. Midfielder Kouseng Yang was named to the All-MIAC Sportsmanship Team.
17002WRESTLING (11-1 overall, NWCA National Duals champion, NCAA Upper Midwest Regional champions, NCAA National Champions) -- Augsburg won its 13th NCAA Division III national title, claiming four individual national titlists and seven All-Americans. The title is Augsburg’s first since 2015 and its second for head coach Jim Moulsoff, who was named the National Wrestling Coaches Association’s Division III National Coach of the Year for the second time. Augsburg’s 13 national titles are the second-most in NCAA D-III wrestling history. It’s the fourth time that Augsburg has had four individual national titilsts in one championship, the most of any Division III school. The Auggies won the NCAA Division III Upper Midwest Regional, its 17th straight NCAA regional title. Augsburg’s four national champions were David Flynn at 141, Ryan Epps at 157, Lucas Jeske at 165 and Lance Benick at 197. 125-pounder Victor Gliva and 174-pounder Tanner Vassar each claimed fifth place, while Alex Wilson took fourth place at 149, with each earning All-American honors. Gliva was named NCAA Elite 90 honoree for the second straight year.