ODAC Announces All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards

FOREST, Va. --- ODAC champion Washington and Lee University and the University of Lynchburg each collected a league-high seven all-conference awards with the Generals and Roanoke College splitting five special individual honors to highlight the 2022 All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards as announced by the league on Thursday afternoon.

The ODAC's coaches selected separate offensive and defensive players of the year for the first time during the 2022 awards process. W&L playmaker Michael Kutsanzira garnered ODAC Offensive Player of the Year recognition, while Generals centerback Tyler Smith earned ODAC Defensive Player of the Year distinction. Washington and Lee mentor Mike Singleton was tabbed the ODAC Coach of the Year. Roanoke first-year forward Harrison Kraus claimed ODAC Rookie of the Year laurels, while Maroons keeper Zach Behe received the ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete of the Year award from the league's athletic communications personnel.

For the second time in as many seasons, 19 standouts repeated as all-conference choices. And also like in 2021, 10 of those stars appear on the 2022 All-ODAC First Team. Kutsanzira and W&L midfielder running mate Samuel Bass repeat as first team selections along with 2021 ODAC Player of the Year, forward Luke Mega from Lynchburg, Roanoke midfielder Dylan Berk, and Virginia Wesleyan University keeper Griffin Potter.

Last season's ODAC Rookie of the Year, Washington and Lee winger-turned-striker Weyimi Agbeyegbe, moved up to the first team from the All-ODAC Second Team. The same can be said of Lynchburg #6 Carter Averette and Roanoke centerback Chris Jerrild. W&L's Smith and Shenandoah University forward Nathan Yared jumped to the first team from the 2021 All-ODAC Third Team.

RELATED: 2021 All-ODAC Awards | All-Time All-Conference

Kutsanzira, a senior from Bulawayo, Zimbabwe, is now a three-time All-ODAC First Team choice as the Generals box-to-box string-puller from the middle of the park. Kutsanzira leads the ODAC in assists with nine and ranks sixth with eight goals scored to give him 25 points, fourth-best in the league with at least one game in the NCAA Tournament on the horizon. He spearheads a W&L attack that leads the conference with 57 goals scored, 17 more than second-place Lynchburg. Kutsanzira has registered at least one point in 10 games this season, saving his highest output for Generals 6-1 victory over Virginia Wesleyan in the ODAC quarterfinals. He scored once and dished out three assists in that outing.

Smith, a senior from Alexandria, Va., picks up his second career All-ODAC award after earning a spot on last year's third team. Smith, a 6-foot-2 centerback who generally commands W&L's defensive aerial efforts, is one of three Generals to start and play in all 20 games this season. He leads a defensive unit that has allowed just 19 goals this season for a 0.95 goals against average. Against league foes, that number drops to a 0.80 GAA with eight goals surrendered. The Generals registered five shutouts in league play, powering them to nine clean sheets on the season, the both ODAC highs. Smith got forward to score one goal this season when he converted a penalty kick in a 5-0 victory over Bridgewater.

Singleton is in his ninth season at Washington and Lee and his 12th campaign as a collegiate men's soccer coach. This the fifth time he has garnered ODAC top-coaching recognition, pairing this honor with awards earned in 2015, 2018, 2019, and co-COY laurels he shared with Lynchburg's Chris Yeager in 2021. Washington and Lee, a national semifinalist a season ago, is ranked 22nd in Division III according to the latest United Soccer Coaches (USC) top-25 poll. Fresh off hoisting their seventh ODAC men's soccer trophy, Washington and Lee is preparing to host early round play in the NCAA Tournament this weekend. W&L owns a 14-2-4 record, improving Singleton's career marks to 171-74-25 (.680) overall and 126-30-20 (.773) at W&L.

Kraus, a sophomore from Nashville, Tenn., made the most of his first collegiate experience after missing all of last season due to injury. Kraus, who stands 6-foot-7 as a true talisman of a striker, led Roanoke with 20 points and nine goals scored to go with a air of assists. His nine goals rank fifth in the league, while his 20 points are sixth in the conference. Two of his goals are credited as game-winning efforts. Kraus came up with big goals in the ODAC Tournament as he scored the first goal in a 2-0 win over Hampden-Sydney in the semifinals and then brought the Maroons level with Washington and Lee in the 84th minute before eventually falling to the Generals, 2-1, in the ODAC title game. Kraus registered his first collegiate hat trick in a 5-1 victory over Averett.

Behe, a senior from High Point, N.C., has long been a leader on and off the field for Roanoke College. In the classroom, Behe maintains a 3.966 grade point average as a business administration major. The 2021 Academic All-American is the President of Roanoke's SAAC and a member of several honor societies including Delta Mu Delta (business) and Alpha Chi. Behe earned teh Larry W. Lynch Scholarship in Finance last spring and has served as as subject tutor since the fall of 2020. He is a member of the American Institute of Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA).

On the field, Behe spent five seasons between the posts at Kerr Stadium, making 81 appearances with 66 starts. He has logged 6,701:07 of game time in goal. This year, he paired an All-ODAC Third Team nod with second team selections in 2019 and 2021. He surrendered 18 goals for an ODAC third-best 0.96 goals against average in 19 games, all starts. He made 62 saves for a .775 save percentage, both of which also rank third in the conference. He was in net for all seven of Roanoke's shutouts. For his career, Behe made 238 saves at an .810 save percentage. He allowed 56 goals towards a 0.75 GAA.

Listed below are the 2022 All-ODAC Men's Soccer Awards.  For more information, visit any of the participating schools' websites, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.

ODAC Offensive Player of the Year: Michael Kutsanzira, Sr., M, Washington and Lee
ODAC Defensive Player of the Year: Tyler Smith, Sr., D, Washington and Lee
ODAC Coach of the Year: Mike Singleton, Washington and Lee
ODAC Rookie of the Year: Harrison Kraus, So., F, Roanoke
ODAC/Virginia Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete: Zach Behe, Sr., GK, Roanoke