Five members of the Mercer men’s soccer team received Atlantic Sun postseason honors as announced on Monday morning by the league office after voting conducted by the nine conference head coaches.
Junior Josh Shutter was voted onto the first team, classmate Joey Heavner landed a spot on the second team and freshmen Ashani Samuels, Carl-Oscar Andersson and Greg Ranjitsingh were all named to the All-Freshman squad.
Mercer's five overall selections were tied for the second-most in the conference, trailing only FGCU who had seven players receive All-Conference recognition. Another sign of the program’s growth under head coach Brad Ruzzo, the Bears five All-Freshman selections over the past two seasons are the most of any team in the A-Sun Conference.
Stetson junior midfielder Jonathan Mendoza won the A-Sun Player of the Year while classmate Luis Ocejo won the A-Sun Defensive Player of the Year. FGCU forward Xavier Silva and head coach Bob Butehorn won the A-Sun Freshman of the Year and Coach of the Year, respectively.
For Shutter, the selection marks his second A-Sun postseason award after earning a spot on the All-Conference second team last season. A 2011 Preseason All-Atlantic Sun Team selection, the Sinking Spring, Pa. native has appeared and started in 16 games for the Bears this season, setting career-highs in points (9) and goals (3). The 6-2 center back starred in Mercer’s 2-0 over Appalachian State on September 4, scoring the game-winning goal on a penalty kick and assisting on the second goal.
For Heavner, the All-Conference second team honor is his second A-Sun postseason award in as many days, as he was also named to the inaugural Men’s Soccer Academic All-Conference team. The Landisville, Pa. native is tied for second on the squad with nine points on one goal and seven assists. Heavner currently ranks tied for first in the A-Sun and 22nd in the nation with seven assists and scored his lone goal of the season in a 2-1 win over Belmont on October 30.
Samuels, Andersson and Ranjitsingh were all selected to the All-Freshman team, giving the Orange and Black multiple selections on the All-Rookie team in back-to-back seasons.
Samuels has played in 15 games, including 13 starts, and has four points on two goals this season. Andersson has appeared and started in all 18 games this season for Mercer and tallied seven points on one goal and five assists. Ranjitsingh has played every minute in goal this season for the Bears and finished tied for first in the A-Sun with seven shutouts and second in the league with a 1.07 goals against average.
Mercer returns to the field on Wednesday evening when it takes on Lipscomb in the first round of the Atlantic Sun Championship. Game time is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Summers-Taylor Stadium on the campus of East Tennessee State University.