NSCAA National Players of the Year announced

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (Via NSCAA) – The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced on Wednesday the men’s and women’s National Players of the Year for NCAA Division II and NCAA Division III soccer, based on All-America voting by coaches in each division.

At the NCAA Division II level, Wingate University senior defender Alex Nelson (Newcastle, England) is the NSCAA Men’s National Player of the Year and Western Washington University junior defender Sierra Shugarts (Federal Way, Wash.) is the NSCAA Women’s National Player of the Year.

For NCAA Division III soccer, Messiah College senior midfielder Jacob Bender (Baltimore, Md.) is the NSCAA Men’s National Player of the Year and Washington University senior goalkeeper Lizzy Crist (Wayzata, Minn.) is the NSCAA Women’s National Player of the Year.

+Read: NSCAA announces Youth Coaches of the Year

The NSCAA National Player of the Year awards program recognizes outstanding athletes at the youth through college ranks. Below is the 2016 class to date, awaiting the addition of the 2016 MAC Hermann Trophy recipients on January 6 for NCAA Division I men’s and women’s soccer.

  NCAA DI Men: Announced on Jan. 6 at MAC Hermann Trophy Banquet (finalists)
  NCAA DI Women: Announced on Jan. 6 at MAC Hermann Trophy Banquet (finalists)
  NCAA DII Men: Alex Nelson (Newcastle, United Kingdom), Wingate University
  NCAA DII Women: Sierra Shugarts (Federal Way, Wash.), Western Washington University
  NCAA DIII Men: Jacob Bender (Baltimore, Md.), Messiah College
  NCAA DIII Women: Lizzy Crist (Wayzata, Minn.), Washington University
  NAIA Men: Daniel Whitehall (Warrington, England), Hastings College
  NAIA Women: Camilla Andersen (Horsens, Denmark), University of Northwestern Ohio
  NCCAA DI Men: Chad Dennis (Liverpool, England), Southwestern Christian University
  NCCAA DI Women: Mariah Fredericks (Mandan, N.D.), Colorado Christian University
  NCCAA DII Men: Wira Wama (West New Britain, Papua New Guinea), Maranatha Baptist University
  NCCAA DII Women: Miriam Lozano (Greenville, S.C.), Bob Jones University
  Junior College DI Men: Yazeed Matthews (Johannesburg, South Africa), Tyler Junior College
  Junior College DI Women: Eleni Markou (Kastoria, Greece), Monroe Community College
  Junior College DIII Men: Mikkel Rohde (Dallas, Texas), Richland College
  Junior College DIII Women: Katie McLaughlin (Pacheco, Calif.), Diablo Valley College
  High School Boys: Stephen Milhoan (Medina, Ohio), Saint Ignatius High School
  High School Girls: Amirah Ali (Voorhees, N.J.), Eastern High School
  Youth Boys: Andrew Carleton (Powder Springs, Ga.), Atlanta United FC
  Youth Girls: Ashley Sanchez (Monrovia, Calif.), So Cal Blues SC