The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor men’s soccer team placed five athletes on the United Soccer Coaches All-West Region Teams released Tuesday. Bryce Eichhorn, Caleb Vandergriff and Caleb Almanza were named First Team, Steven Dang was placed on the Second Team and Martin Lopez was voted Third Team.
Eichhorn, a senior goalkeeper from Aurora, Colo. (Smoky Hill H.S.), Vandergriff, a junior defender from Georgetown (East View H.S.) and Almanza, a senior midfielder from Odessa, Texas (Permian H.S.), were all selected First Team All-West Region. Eichhorn recorded a 0.58 goals-against average this season with eight solo shutouts and 52 saves. He allowed just 10 goals and earned 13 wins in the goal for UMHB. Vandergriff was named American Southwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year and started in all 21 games for the Cru. He led the team with 1,915 minutes played and added four goals, two game-winning goals and two assists as a defender. Almanza was the anchor of UMHB’s midfield, scoring one goal and adding two assists with more than 1,544 minutes played.
Dang, a junior defender from Plano, Texas (West H.S.) was named Second Team All-West Region and Lopez, a sophomore midfielder from Hutto, Texas (East View) was chosen Third Team All-West Region. Dang played more than 1,840 minutes at defender and started in all 21 games for the Cru. He teamed up with Eichhorn and Vandergriff to record an ASC-leading 0.66 goals-against average in 2017 and scored one goal. Lopez recorded eight offensive points for the Cru with three goals and two assists on the season. He notched game-winning goals against Ozarks and Hardin-Simmons, playing almost 1,300 as an offensive midfielder for UMHB.
Eichhorn, Vandergriff, Almanza, Dang and Lopez were all named First Team All-ASC. The Cru won the program’s first ASC Men’s Soccer Championship this season and advanced farther than any other ASC men’s soccer program in the NCAA tournament. UMHB also set new school records for consecutive wins, wins in a season and postseason play. This is the third season under head coach Brad Bankhead that UMHB has named players to the All-Region teams.
