Butler's success during the regular season translated into
a strong showing on the 2009 Horizon League Men's Soccer
All-League Team, released on Tueday, Nov 10. The league
champion Bullodgs placed eight players on the honor squad, and
Butler captured three of the league's top six individual
awards, chosen by a vote of conference coaches.
Head Coach Kelly Findley, sophomore defender Matt
Hedges and freshman forward Julian Cardona were the top
honorees for the Bulldogs, who wrapped up the league regular season
title with a 13-2-1 overall record and a 6-1-1 conference
mark. Findley was chosen as the Horizon League Coach of the
Year, while Hedges was named the league's Defensive Player of
the Year. Cardona, who leads all freshmen in the league in
scoring this fall and all players in game-winning goals (4), was
selected as the Horizon League Newcomer of the Year.
Hedges, who's Butler's third-leading scorer with five
goals and two assists, also earned first team All-League
recognition, along with teammates Boris Gatzky and Kyle
VondenBenken. Gatzky, a senior forward, tops the Bulldogs and
ranks second in the Horizon League in scoring with 19 points.
He's tied with Cardona and two other players for fifth in the
league in goals with six, and he ranks third in the circuit in
assists with seven. VondenBenken, a senior midfielder, is
second on the team and tied for fifth in the league in assists with
five.
Juniors Fabian Knopfler and Conner Burt, two mainstays on
Butler's defensive unit, earned second team All-Horizon
League recognition. Knopfler, who started at goalkeeper in
six of Butler's eight league matches, leads the Horizon
League and ranks 17th in the NCAA Division I in goals against
average (0.67). Burt, a defender, has helped the Bulldogs
pace the league in fewest goals allowed (10).
Joining Cardona on the league All-Newcomer team were Butler
freshmen Jared Isenthal and Tyler Pollock. Isenthal has been
another key performer on Butler's defensive unit, while
Pollock, a forward, is fourth on the team in scoring with four
goals and an assist.
Midfielder JC Banks of Green Bay, who leads the Horizon League in
scoring with 13 goals and eight assists, was chosen as the Horizon
League Player of the Year and as the league's Offensive
Player of the Year. Valparaiso goalkeeper Ryan Schwarz was
named Horizon League Goalkeeper of the Year.
Butler will host and take the No. 1 seed into the Horizon League
Men's Soccer Championship, which begins on Friday, Nov. 13,
at the Butler Bowl. The first match is slated for 12 noon,
with the Bulldogs playing in the second contest at 2:30 p.m.
2009 ALL-HORIZON LEAGUE MEN'S SOCCER TEAM
First Team
Boris Gatzky, Butler
Matt Hedges, Butler
Kyle VondenBenken, Butler
Slavisa Ubiparipovic, Cleveland State
Josh Williams, Cleveland State
JC Banks, Green Bay
David Prochazka, Green Bay
Tony Walls, Green Bay
David Znaty, Green Bay
Eric Gerhig, Loyola
Ryan Schwarz, Valparaiso
Second Team
Conner Burt, Butler
Fabian Knopfler, Butler
Mitch Boyer, Cleveland State
Michael Ferguson, Loyla
Willie Koss, Loyola
Ivan Stanisavljevic, UIC
Kevin Stoll, UIC
Stefan Antonijevic, Valparaiso
Adrian Ortiz, Jr., Valparaiso
Steve Shively, Valparaiso
Braden Fleak, Wright State
All-Newcomer Team
Julian Cardona, Butler
Jared Isenthal, Butler
Tyler Pollock, Butler
Admir Suljevic, Cleveland State
Aaron Adkins, Cleveland State
Ryan Wehking, Green Bay
Andrew Wiedabach, Milwaukee
Josh Beard, UIC
Ivan Stanisavljevic, UIC
Jaymie Bullard, Valparaiso
Brad Bamberger, Wright State
Player of the Year: JC Banks, Green
Bay
Offensive Player of the Year: JC Banks,
Green Bay
Defensive Player of the Year: Matt
Hedges, Butler
Goalkeeper of the Year: Ryan Schwarz,
Valparaiso
Newcomer of the Year: Julian Cardona,
Butler
Coach of the Year: Kelly Findley,
Butler
