CLEVELAND, Ohio - The Mid-American Conference announced the 2021 Men's Soccer postseason awards Thursday. The league’s six head coaches selected the All-MAC First and Second Team, Player of the Year, Freshman of the Year and the Gary V. Palmisano Coach of the Year.
Bowling Green Head Coach Eric Nichols has been named the MAC Coach of the Year, and six BGSU players have earned all-league honors.
Jacob Erlandson, Achille Robin and Chris Sullivan all were named to the All-MAC First Team, while Zach Buescher, Logan Kowalczyk and Nathan Masters were chosen to the all-conference second team.
BGSU's total of six All-MAC Team members is the highest of any conference school. Akron and West Virginia each had five players chosen to the team, while Western Michigan had four and Northern Illinois two. The Falcons and WVU each had three first-team honorees, while NIU and WMU had two apiece and UA one.
NIU Junior Nick Markanich has been named the Mid-American Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year, along with teammate Freshman Harry Jolley who claimed MAC Freshman of the Year honors. Huskies Junior Anthony Markanich was also named to the All-MAC First Team.
Nick Markanich joins Eirik Frederiksen (1997) as the only MAC Player of the Year honorees in NIU men's soccer history. Markanich scored nine goals during the 2021 spring season, most in the MAC and tied for eighth-best nationally.
Jolley becomes the third Huskie to earn MAC Freshman of the Year honors in the last six seasons, joining Kevin Rodriguez in 2015 and Nick Markanich in 2018. The rookie center back started 13 games during his first season of college soccer, playing the full 90 minutes in 10 of those contests.
2021 MAC Player of the Year
Nick Markanich, NIU
2021 MAC Freshman of the Year
Harry Jolley, NIU
2021 Gary V. Palmisano Coach of the Year
Eric Nichols, Bowling Green
First Team All-MAC
Diogo Pacheco, Akron
Achille Robin, Bowling Green
Jacob Erlandson, Bowling Green
Chris Sullivan, Bowling Green
Nick Markanich, NIU
Anthony Markanich, NIU
Mike Melaragni, Western Michigan
Daniel Nimick, Western Michigan
Steven Tekesky, West Virginia
Luke McCormick, West Virginia
Ike Swiger, West Virginia
Second Team All-MAC
Daniel Strachan, Akron
Carlo Ritaccio, Akron
Will Jackson, Akron
Colin Biros, Akron
Nathan Masters, Bowling Green
Logan Kowalczyk, Bowling Green
Zach Buescher, Bowling Green
Pepe Martinez-Bertrand, Western Michigan
Brennan Creek, Western Michigan
Pau Jumenez Albelda, West Virginia
Kevin Morris, West Virginia
