MSOC | Six Gaels Receive All-WCC Honors, with Lynch on First Team
11/15/2023 11:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. – Saint Mary's Men's Soccer had six players receive All-WCC Honors for the 2023 season, including first-teamer Riley Lynch.
Along with Lynch's first-team recognition, Wade Muttitt, Luke Lawrence, and Louis Sterobo all received WCC Honorable Mention, and Toke Amtrup and Justin Sosa were named to the All-Freshman Team.
FIRST TIME ON FIRST TEAM
In WCC games alone, Lynch led the conference in shots and shots on goal, and finished tied for second in goals with three. In all games , he was still tops in the conference in shots and shots on goal, and was third in goals with eight on the season.
His 21 points overall were tied for third in the WCC, and he had two game-winning goals on the year, with none more dramatic than his free kick just outside the box in the 74th minute of the Gaels 3-2 win over Pacific. Lynch got his assist on SMC's first goal against Pacific as well, after he forced a Tigers turnover about 40 yards from the goal, he worked his way to the left of the six-yard box where he blasted a left-footed shot that forced a diving, one-handed save from the keeper. The rebound came right to Muttitt who was charging towards the goal and he chipped it in with a left-footed shot at the edge of the six-yard area.
That same week, Lynch hammered in the final nail in the coffin on the Dons in San Francisco, putting in a rebound of a Jack Vestberg shot to make it a 3-0 Gaels lead in the 65th minute for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Those performances led to Lynch being named the WCC Offensive Player of the Week and to the College Soccer News Men's Team of the week. It's the Chandler, Ariz. native's third time receiving All-WCC Accolades, as the junior made All-WCC Second Team as a freshman and Honorable Mention as a sophomore.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sterobo has been a force on the back line for the Gaels for the past four seasons. The Odense, Denmark is now fifth all time in minutes played in program history with 5,045. He has played every minute of every game for 30-straight matches as a Gael. A stalwart of the Gaels defense, he was named a First-Team All-WCC Defender in 2022, after making 2nd-team All-WCC in 2021. A star in the classroom as well, he was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention with a 3.50 GPA in 2022.
Muttitt was tied for second in the conference in assists and fourth in shots on goal in WCC play. He finished with 13 points overall, good for eighth in the conference. This is Muttitt's second time in as many seasons receiving all-conference honors, after being named All-WCC Second Team last season. He recorded multiple assists twice this year, with two helpers each against San Jose State and San Francisco.
Lawrence was second on the team in minutes played, just seven minutes behind Sterobo. He played the full 90 minutes in every match except the 5-1 win in the season opener over Detroit Mercy, where he still logged 83 minutes played. The sophomore made the WCC All-Freshman Team last season, and has been a solid, steady presence on the back line, while making his presence known offensively with a powerful shot and recording an assist against Santa Clara.
FRESHIES ON THE SCENE
Sosa was quite the play maker for the Gaels in 2023, with his minutes increasing as the season went on. He facilitated the ball through the midfield for Saint Mary's and recorded assists against UC Davis and Gonzaga.
He'd breakthrough for his first collegiate goal in the win against Pacific on a corner piece. Sosa wedged himself between defenders, and flicked the ball into the left side of the net with his left foot to tie the match at 2-2. He put SMC up 2-0 in San Francisco in the 60th minute, putting a right-footed shot past the diving keeper for a two-goal lead. Sosa even helped set up the first goal for the Gaels at USF, drawing a penalty that set up the free kick to put Saint Mary's up 1-0.
Amtrup was a versatile defender for the Gaels, who could also play the midfield. He scored his first career goal in spectacular fashion for what would be the game winner at USF. Muttitt lofted a perfect feed inside the six-yard box on a free kick that was put in out of mid-air by the left foot of Amtrup to make it 1-0 Saint Mary's in the 56th minute. He played the full 90 minutes in the Gaels draw versus UC Irvine and 87 minutes at Gonzaga.
#GaelsRise
Along with Lynch's first-team recognition, Wade Muttitt, Luke Lawrence, and Louis Sterobo all received WCC Honorable Mention, and Toke Amtrup and Justin Sosa were named to the All-Freshman Team.
FIRST TIME ON FIRST TEAM
In WCC games alone, Lynch led the conference in shots and shots on goal, and finished tied for second in goals with three. In all games , he was still tops in the conference in shots and shots on goal, and was third in goals with eight on the season.
His 21 points overall were tied for third in the WCC, and he had two game-winning goals on the year, with none more dramatic than his free kick just outside the box in the 74th minute of the Gaels 3-2 win over Pacific. Lynch got his assist on SMC's first goal against Pacific as well, after he forced a Tigers turnover about 40 yards from the goal, he worked his way to the left of the six-yard box where he blasted a left-footed shot that forced a diving, one-handed save from the keeper. The rebound came right to Muttitt who was charging towards the goal and he chipped it in with a left-footed shot at the edge of the six-yard area.
That same week, Lynch hammered in the final nail in the coffin on the Dons in San Francisco, putting in a rebound of a Jack Vestberg shot to make it a 3-0 Gaels lead in the 65th minute for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. Those performances led to Lynch being named the WCC Offensive Player of the Week and to the College Soccer News Men's Team of the week. It's the Chandler, Ariz. native's third time receiving All-WCC Accolades, as the junior made All-WCC Second Team as a freshman and Honorable Mention as a sophomore.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Sterobo has been a force on the back line for the Gaels for the past four seasons. The Odense, Denmark is now fifth all time in minutes played in program history with 5,045. He has played every minute of every game for 30-straight matches as a Gael. A stalwart of the Gaels defense, he was named a First-Team All-WCC Defender in 2022, after making 2nd-team All-WCC in 2021. A star in the classroom as well, he was named to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team and WCC All-Academic Honorable Mention with a 3.50 GPA in 2022.
Muttitt was tied for second in the conference in assists and fourth in shots on goal in WCC play. He finished with 13 points overall, good for eighth in the conference. This is Muttitt's second time in as many seasons receiving all-conference honors, after being named All-WCC Second Team last season. He recorded multiple assists twice this year, with two helpers each against San Jose State and San Francisco.
Lawrence was second on the team in minutes played, just seven minutes behind Sterobo. He played the full 90 minutes in every match except the 5-1 win in the season opener over Detroit Mercy, where he still logged 83 minutes played. The sophomore made the WCC All-Freshman Team last season, and has been a solid, steady presence on the back line, while making his presence known offensively with a powerful shot and recording an assist against Santa Clara.
FRESHIES ON THE SCENE
Sosa was quite the play maker for the Gaels in 2023, with his minutes increasing as the season went on. He facilitated the ball through the midfield for Saint Mary's and recorded assists against UC Davis and Gonzaga.
He'd breakthrough for his first collegiate goal in the win against Pacific on a corner piece. Sosa wedged himself between defenders, and flicked the ball into the left side of the net with his left foot to tie the match at 2-2. He put SMC up 2-0 in San Francisco in the 60th minute, putting a right-footed shot past the diving keeper for a two-goal lead. Sosa even helped set up the first goal for the Gaels at USF, drawing a penalty that set up the free kick to put Saint Mary's up 1-0.
Amtrup was a versatile defender for the Gaels, who could also play the midfield. He scored his first career goal in spectacular fashion for what would be the game winner at USF. Muttitt lofted a perfect feed inside the six-yard box on a free kick that was put in out of mid-air by the left foot of Amtrup to make it 1-0 Saint Mary's in the 56th minute. He played the full 90 minutes in the Gaels draw versus UC Irvine and 87 minutes at Gonzaga.
#GaelsRise
Players Mentioned
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