COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) announced their 2023 South Central Men's Soccer All-Region Teams and Regional Player of the Year on Tuesday morning, with seniors Alex Andersson and Lars Walczyk both earning recognition as members of the All-Region Second Team.
 
Forward Mere Escobar of Midwestern State University was announced as the 2023 South Central Region Men's Soccer Player of the Year after putting together an incredible 2023 season in which he currently leads the Lone Star Conference and ranks among the top-five in the nation for points (47), goals (17), and assists (13). The Mustangs paced all South Central institutions with seven All-Region selections, followed by Colorado State University Pueblo with five and Fort Lewis College with four.
 
The D2CCA All-South Central Region Teams and Regional Player of the Year were nominated and voted on by the Sports Information Directors from the Lone Star Conference (LSC) and the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC).
 
A senior from Helsingborg, Sweden, Andersson earns All-South Central Region Second Team honors for the 2023 season after putting together another stellar season that saw him post career highs with 20 games played and 1,368 minutes while leading the Mountain Lions in points (20), goals (9), and total shots (65). An All-RMAC First Team selection this season, Andersson ranked among the top-ten in the conference for nearly every offensive category as he finished the season third in total shots, fourth in goals, and sixth in points and shots on goal (23). The talented forward made his impact known throughout his four-years at UCCS as he will finish his incredible career ranked sixth all-time in program history with 25 goals, seventh all-time in points with 59, and eighth all-time in shots (131) and shots on goal (59).   
 
Walczyk makes his first all-region appearance as a member of the All-South Central Region Second Team after posting another stellar season at midfield for the Mountain Lions. In his second season with the squad, the All-RMAC Second Team honoree appeared in 20 games and logged 1,321 minutes while recording one goal and the first two assists of his UCCS career. A native of Bavaria, Germany, Walczyk was a mainstay on the pitch for the Mountain Lions as he recorded at least 60 minutes of action in 14 of his 20 games played, including a pair of 90-minute performances against Colorado School of Mines on Sept. 28 and Colorado Christian on Oct. 8.
 
The Division II Conference Commissioners Association (D2CCA) encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.
 
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