Reed, Kern, Kwortnik, Colwell Headline Men’s Soccer AD3I Awards

Men's Soccer was well-recognized for its strong season in the AD3I Awards
Men's Soccer was well-recognized for its strong season in the AD3I Awards

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – The Association of Division III Independents released its All-Independent Teams and Awards on Tuesday. Seven Illinois Tech men's soccer players earned spots on either the first or second teams, with three individual awards for the team and Coach of the Year.

Christopher Reed dominated offensively for the Scarlet Hawks during the 2017-18 campaign. Fittingly, he was named the Offensive Player of the Year and First Team Forward for AD3I. Reed ranked tied for first in the Division III Independent rankings with 10 goals on the season on a .169 shooting percentage. Reed also ranked first in game-winning goals with five. His 22 total points on the season was second overall.

Alex Kern was named AD3I Goalkeeper of the Year and an All-Independent First Team Goalkeeper. The sophomore had an excellent campaign for the 2017-18 Scarlet Hawks, leading Division III Independents with a 1.01 goals against average. He also led in wins (10) and shutouts (6) while ranking second in save percentage (.732). Kern only allowed 15 goals on the year.

Noah Kwortnik served as a well-rounded defender for the Illinois Scarlet Hawks this year en route to being named the Defensive Player of the Year and AD3I First Team Defender. He tallied four goals, tied for eighth in the Division III Independent rankings while anchoring the team's strong defense at center back. Despite being a defender, Kwortnik was a focal point of the team's corner-kick game, being the main target for headers.

Brandon Bortei-Doku was also named to the AD3I First Team as a forward. The USCAA All-American totaled 26 points for the 2017-18 season, the most among Division III Independents.  His 10 goals tied Reed for most overall and his six assists ranked third overall. Bortei-Doku had two game-winning goals on the year.

Sophomore Oluwaseun Ogunsanya provided regular facilitation for the Scarlet Hawks this year, being named to the AD3I First Team at the midfielder position. Ogunsanya paced the AD3I ranks with seven assists, while his nine points ranked 10th overall during the well-rounded year overall.

Norikazu Honda had an excellent senior season for Illinois Tech and was the sixth Scarlet Hawk to be named to the AD3I First Team. His quick footwork on the Hawks' front line helped him to a Division III Independents' best seven assists. Honda totaled 15 points on the year with 46 shots. He also had four goals with one game-winning goal. 

Zachary Whritenour contributed to the Scarlet Hawks this year as a defensive-minded midfielder, earning AD3I Second Team recognition. The sophomore had seven points on the year off of two goals and three assists—which ranked tied for sixth in the Division III Independents rankings.  He also added one game-winning goal.

Head Coach Marc Colwell was named as the AD3I Coach of the Year. Colwell guided the Scarlet Hawks to a large improvement this season, doubling the team's win total and finishing with a 14-5-1 record. The Scarlet Hawks increased their goal total from last season by 12 while allowing just 1.09 goals per contest this season. The Scarlet Hawks also went an impressive 4-1-1 in true road matches.

The Scarlet Hawks qualified for the USCAA National Championship, going 1-1 in the pool play section of the tournament with a 3-2 win over Albany College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences to end the season.