FAIRBORN — Seven Wright State men’s soccer players have been honored by the Horizon League, as conference officials announced all-league teams Nov. 6.

A.J. Paterson and Dan Bent were named to the first team as Paterson was named the Player of the Year and Bent was named the Defensive Player of the Year. Stefan Rokvic, Sam DeRoy and Joel Sundell were selected to the second team as Brayden McNitt and Florian Hoffmann were chosen to the freshman team.

“To have seven players selected is quite an honor for the players and the program,” WSU head coach Bryan Davis said. “I am very happy for the players, especially those who have gone under the radar for so long. As for A.J. and Dan, it is a great honor and couldn’t have happened to better people, let alone players. They committed themselves to improve and have shown tremendous dedication and example for the younger players.”

Paterson, a senior midfielder from Key Largo, Fla., has appeared in 75 games with 46 starts in his career. He has 15 goals and seven assists, including seven goals this season. He was named the League Player of the Week in early September as he collected four goals, including a hat trick against Cincinnati and one against No. 19 West Virginia. In 2016, he was named to the League’s second team and the all-Horizon League Tournament team.

Paterson is the third Raider to collect the Player of the Year honor in the last four years as Eric Lynch (2014) and Peguy Ngatcha (2016) were honored earlier. Lynch was the first Wright State player to receive this distinction.

Bent, a junior from Kent, England, has been an anchor for the Raider defense that ranked tied second in league games for goals allowed. He has played and started in 29 games over his first two seasons for the Raiders with four shots this season.

Bent is the first Raider to receive this honor.

Rokvic, a sophomore from Muskego, Wis., leads the team with eight goals and one assist and is tied for the league lead in conference games for goals. He has collected seven goals and one assist in the final seven contests, including two against Detroit Mercy and two at Milwaukee.

DeRoy, a fifth-year senior from Powell, has played in 72 games so far in his Raider career with 69 starts. A stalwart on the Raiders defense, he has scored twice and collected 12 assists with 40 shots in his time with the Raiders. He was the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 23 and was named to the league’s second team and was the team MVP in 2015.

Sundell, a sophomore from Norrkoping, Sweden, has posted six shutouts this year, including three against league teams. In over 1,400 minutes of action in the nets, Sundell has a 1.05 goals against average. He ranks tied for second in overall saves in the Horizon League.

McNitt, a midfielder from Brighton, Mich., has started 15 games while playing in 16 overall. He has collected four assists overall, including two against Detroit Mercy. McNitt also has nine shots.

Hoffmann, a defender from Bayreuth, Germany, has played in 14 games with 13 starts. He has notched three assists with one at league foe Milwaukee with six total shots.

The Raiders, who have now posted double-figure wins for four straight years, open the Horizon League championship tonight as they host Cleveland State in a quarterfinals game at WSU’s Alumni Field. The winner will play Illinois Chicago or Green Bay in the semifinals Thursday in Chicago. The finals are slated for Saturday, also in Chicago.

Bent
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2017/11/web1_Bent_Dan__PS.jpgBent Submitted photos

Paterson
https://www.beavercreeknewscurrent.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/49/2017/11/web1_Paterson_AJ_PS.jpgPaterson Submitted photos

News-Current Report

Story courtesy of Wright State University Athletics.