Six Polar Bears named to College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team in Men's Soccer
By Marissa Myers
| 2024 Academic All-District Men's Soccer Teams (.pdf) |
ADA — Six Ohio Northern student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators NCAA Division III Academic All-District Men's Soccer Team for the 2024 season.
Fifth-year seniors Will Shaffer (Galena/St. Francis DeSales) and Cade Winchester (Knoxville, Tenn./Alcoa), seniors Ryan Sommerfeld (Dublin/Coffman), Noah Zebrak (Cleveland/St. Ignatius) and Stephen Duggan (Saginaw, Mich./Freeland) and junior Alex Shaffer (Galena/St. Francis DeSales) were each named Academic All-District.
This marks the third career CSC Academic All-District accolade for Winchester and Zebrak and the second award for the other four student-athletes.
Will Shaffer was named OAC Midfielder of the Year this season and earned First Team honors in 2023 and was a Third Team selection in 2022.
A midfielder majoring in finance, Shaffer was second on the team this season in scoring with 20 points on seven goals and six assists.
In his career, Shaffer has 57 points on 20 goals and 17 assists.
Winchester is a three-time Academic All-OAC honoree and was named Academic All-Ohio in 2022.
The midfielder and sport management major was second on the team this season in goals with eight.
In 87 career games, Winchester has tallied 41 points on 19 goals and three assists.
Sommerfeld led the team this season with 25 points on nine goals and seven assists.
The mechanical engineering major was an All-OAC First Team selection this season and in 2023, along with being named First Team Academic All-America in 2023.
In 71 career games at ONU, including 50 starts, Sommerfeld has 67 points on 25 goals and 17 assists.
Zebrak and Duggan were key members of the ONU defense that has produced eight shutouts this season.
An exercise physiology major, Zebrak was named First Team All-OAC this season is a two-time Second Team All-OAC honoree.
In 73 career games, he has nine goals and five assists for 23 points.
Duggan was named to the OAC All-Tournament Team this season and in 2023 and played in all 22 games this season with 20 starts.
In 66 career games, the biochemistry major has six points on one goal and four assists.
Alex Shaffer was named to the OAC All-Tournament Team this season and played in 21 matches with five starts in the midfield.
In 51 games, the finance and marketing double-major has tallied three goals, eight assists and 14 points in his career.
The CSC Academic All-District Teams recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom.
Academic All-District honorees advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot.
First, Second and Third Team Academic All-America honorees will be announced on Dec. 19.
The Polar Bears finished the season at 14-4-4 overall and appeared in their 11th NCAA III Tournament and third in the last three seasons under sixth-year head coach Chris Matejka.