[Men's Soccer] Hadzic, five Mustangs garner league awards

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- Mount Mercy's Amir Hadzic was named the Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Soccer Coach of the Year for the second straight season and five Mustangs garnered all-conference awards, the league announced this week.

Hadzic has been the MCC Coach of the Year three times. This fall, he led the Mustangs to a share of the regular season conference championship and the MCC Tournament title. Mount Mercy also set a school record with 51 goals and a +18 scoring differential. The Mustangs have won 27 games over the past two seasons, which is the highest win total for any two-year period in school history.

Sophomore midfielder Juan Maffey, senior defender Jay Petersen and senior goalkeeper Josh Putz were first-team all-conference selections. Maffey shared the team lead and tied for sixth in the league in goals scored with 10. He also assisted three scores. Petersen spearheaded the Mustang defense and assisted a goal.

Putz was a two-time MCC Defensive Player of the Week and was also the NAIA Defensive Player of the Week for Oct. 24. He posted an 8-1-2 mark with three shutouts. Putz had 61 saves, tied for the league lead with an .803 save percentage and was fourth in the MCC with a 1.20 goals against average.

Junior forwards Enrique Cortina and Matt Rumery received all-MCC honorable mention. Cortina, a two-time first-team all-conference selection, scored five goals and was second in the league with 10 assists. Rumery was tied for third on the team with seven goals and also had a pair of assists.

2011 Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Soccer Awards

MCC Player of the Year: Luis Heitor-Piffer (Grand View)

MCC Newcomer of the Year: Javier Ramirez (Ashford)

MCC Coach of the Year: Amir Hadzic (Mount Mercy)

First Team:

Lucas Almeida, Geraldo Garza, Danny James (Ashford); Mark Dismang Dino Ramic (Clarke); Ryan Adamson, Luis Heitor-Piffer, Johnny Macadam, Per Poulsen (Grand View); Juan Maffey, Jay Petersen, Josh Putz (Mount Mercy); Mark Burton, James Lockley (Viterbo).

Honorable Mention:

Craig Butcher, Eduardo Cruz, Javier Ramirez (Ashford); Peter Bayliss (Clarke); Ross Alexander, Wed Dawson (Grand View); Caio Costa (Iowa Wesleyan);

Enrique Cortina,

Matt Rumery (Mount Mercy); Matt Kraciun, Jared Winking (St. Ambrose); Teague Mitchell, Luke Newton, Jake Wenzel (Viterbo); Daniel Minniti (Waldorf); Sam Gurski, Frankie Sullivan (William Penn).