COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference (RMAC) announced their all-conference teams and individual major awards for the 2024 men's soccer season on Friday afternoon, with junior Soren Russell headlining a group of six honorees as he earned All-RMAC First Team accolades and was tabbed the RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year.  In addition to Russell, Dani Barajas and Rory Scott were named to the All-RMAC First Team and Lars Walczyk, Miles Seminario, and Nick Walker were each tabbed to the All-RMAC Second Team.
 
Senior midfielder Caio Oliveira from Colorado State University Pueblo was named the RMAC Offensive Player of the Year while his teammate Shjon Andrews earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Year accolades and Fort Lewis College midfielder Fabrizio Aguilera was selected as the RMAC Freshman of the Year. Oliver Twelvetrees received RMAC Coach of the Year honors after leading the ThunderWolves to the regular season conference championship with a 7-1-2 RMAC record.
 
The major individual awards and All-RMAC Teams were voted on by the conference's 11 head men's soccer coaches. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own student-athletes.
 
In his second year as a member of the Mountain Lions, Soren Russell made a statement as he was tabbed the RMAC Goalkeeper of the Year and named to the All-RMAC First Team after posting a 0.92 GAA in 19 games started. In more than 1,650 minutes played, the Bellevue, Wash., native has recorded a 0.788 save percentage with 63 total saves and five clean sheets. Russell currently ranks among the RMAC leaders in most goalkeeper categories as he sits second in the conference in save percentage and third in GAA and clean sheets. Across his two-year career at UCCS, Russell has logged more than 3,200 minutes played in goal and has made his mark on the men's soccer record book. His 1.01 career GAA ranks second all-time in program history among goalkeepers with at least 1,000 minutes played, while he also ranks fifth in clean sheets with 10 and ninth in total saves with 135.
 
A midfielder from Edwards, Colo., Dani Barajas broke out in his second year wearing a Mountain Lion uniform as he collected All-RMAC First Team accolades for the first time in his career. In his senior season, Barajas established himself as one of the top offensive weapons in the RMAC, scoring 11 goals and recording four assists for 26 points while appearing in each of the team's first 20 games. Across 1,226 minutes on the pitch, Barajas has put together one of the most efficient offensive campaigns in program history as he currently ranks third all-time in single season shot percentage at 0.282, scoring 11 times on just 39 total shots and 19 shots on goal. In addition to leading the conference in goals and ranking second overall in points, Barajas has made a name for himself on the national stage as well as he sits tied for 20^th in the nation in goals and 22^nd in the country in total points.
 
A third-year member of the Mountain Lions, defender Rory Scott makes his long-awaited debut on the All-RMAC First Team after putting together another rock-solid season in the center of the UCCS back line. Scott's junior season has seen him log more than 1,300 minutes from the center back position of a UCCS defense that has held opponents to 0.85 goals per game this year, which ranks as the second-best mark in the conference and the 16^th-best in all of NCAA Division II. In addition to his role on the defensive end, Scott has also contributed offensively this year as he has netted a pair of goals and recorded a total of 14 shots, five of which being on target. Across his three-year career at UCCS, the Brisbane, Australia, native has appeared in 51 games and logged more than 3,700 minutes while helping the Mountain Lions perennially hold one of the top defensive units in the country.  

For a third consecutive season, Lars Walczyk makes an appearance on the All-RMAC Second Team after logging a career-high 1,421 minutes from his position in the midfield. The native of Bavaria, Germany, has appeared in each of the team's 20 games this season and has made a large impact in the middle field as he has scored one goal and dished out three assists for five points while taking a career-high 28 shots. A three-year member of the UCCS men's soccer program as a community college transfer, Walczyk will finish his career with the Mountain Lions having played more than 3,900 minutes and appearing in 58 games while scoring six goals and recording five assists.
 
Miles Seminario makes his first career appearance on the All-RMAC team as he earns second team honors as a forward after spending his first two seasons at the collegiate level as a wing defender. The Colorado Springs, Colo., native excelled in his new role as he has established new career-bests across the board with seven goals, four assists, and 18 points. In addition to ranking tied for first on the team in assists and second in goals and points, Seminario has also paced the Mountain Lions in total shots (43) and shots on goal (21) while matching Barajas for the team-lead in game-winning goals (3). Seminario has also made a name for himself on the conference leaderboard as he ranks among the top 10 in nearly every offensive category, including total goals (T7th), total points (9^th), and total assists (T10th).
 
A junior transfer from California State University Dominguez Hills, Nick Walker had a smooth transition into the front field of the Mountain Lions in 2024 as he collects All-RMAC Second Team accolades in his first season donning the black and gold. Walker has appeared in 16 games in his debut season with the Mountain Lions and currently sits tied for second on the team with seven goals and third on the squad with 16 points. Across 955 minutes on the pitch, Walker has recorded 37 total shots and 19 shots on goal while scoring a pair of game-winning goals. For the season, Walker ranks among the RMAC leaders on a per game basis as he sits fourth with 1.19 shots on goal per game and sixth in total shots per game (2.31) and total goals per game (.438).
 
The final field of 40 teams for the 2024 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship will be announced on Monday, Nov. 18 with the official NCAA Selection Show being live streamed on the NCAA website at 4:30 p.m. (MT).
 
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