Mustangs count four first-teamers, Coach of the Year

MOUNT PLEASANT, Iowa -- Mount Mercy had a school-record four players named to the Midwest Collegiate Conference men's soccer all-conference first team, and Amir Hadzic was selected by his peers as the MCC Coach of the Year, the league announced this week.

Enrique Cortina, Nebojsa Jevtovic, Juan Martin Maffey, and Petar Triva were first-team selections for Mount Mercy. Cortina, a sophomore forward, landed on the first team for the second year in a row after finishing with 10 goals and five assists. Triva, a senior midfielder who was honorable mention all-conference as a freshman, shared the team lead with 10 goals and topped the MCC with 10 assists. He transferred back to Mount Mercy this fall from Montevallo (Ala.).

Jevtovic, a junior defender, was honored by the league for the third straight season. A two-time honorable mention all-conference performer in the midfield, Jevtovic became Mount Mercy's top defender this fall and had a goal and an assist. Maffey, a freshman midfielder, was third on the team with seven goals and an assist in his debut season with the Mustangs.

Senior goalkeeper Nenad Simovic received all-MCC honorable mention for the third time in three seasons at Mount Mercy. He started all 21 games in goal this fall and was the NAIA and MCC Defensive Player of the Week for Sept. 13. Simovic posted eight shutouts for the Mustangs with 112 saves and a 1.29 goals against average.

Hadzic was named MCC Coach of the Year for the second time (1999) after leading the Mustangs to the most wins in school history, an overall mark of 15-5-0, and runner-up finish in the conference with a 6-2-0 league record. Mount Mercy also reached the finals of the MCC Tournament for the second time ever and posted the second-best scoring margin (+17) in school history.

2010 Midwest Collegiate Conference Men's Soccer Awards

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

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

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

First Team:

Lucas Almeida, Geraldo Garza, Nick Roman, Damian Ryan (Ashford); Danny Gillespie-O'Neill, Luis Heitor-Piffer, Jonny McAdam, Darren Martin (Grand View); Enrique Cortina, Nebojsa Jevtovic, Juan Martin Maffey, Petar Triva (Mount Mercy); Kendrick Tyson (St. Ambrose); Steven Simmons (Waldorf).

Honorable Mention:

Eduardo Cruz (Ashford); Kraig Moore, Dino Ramic (Clarke); Ryan Adamson, Per Poulsen (Grand View); Albert Michael (Iowa Wesleyan);

Nenad Simovic (Mount Mercy); Tony Villasenor (St. Ambrose); Mark Burton, James Lockley, Jamie Robertson (Viterbo); Frank Delgado (Waldorf); Tadeo Cavazos, Nick Gorrie, Frankie Sullivan (William Penn).