Bethany Lutheran men's soccer was represented by seven different players in the UMAC All-Conference awards. In addition, Head Coach Rob Pipal was named Coach of the Year after leading the team to a record breaking season finishing second in the conference, and hosting its first ever post-season tournament game.
First Team All-Conference
Defender Jimmy DuTremaine (Bloomington, Minn./Bloomington Kennedy) won UMAC Player of the Week earlier this season after helping the Vikings to a four-game winning streak. DuTremaine was key in helping the team hold conference opponents to a .061 shot percentage and only 12 goals during the UMAC season. "Once Jimmy took ownership of the quality of our defense, our team went to another level," Coach Pipal said. "Jimmy has good speed, great skills, and is a fierce competitor. I am super proud of what he has done for his team. He is a big part of our success this year and the honor of All-Conference is well deserved."
 Vikings leading scorer, CK Pock (Faribault, Minn./Faribault), recorded 10 goals and three assists totaling 23 points. Seven of those goals were during the conference season. The sophomore midfielder had four game winning goals, and a staggering .489 shot on goal percentage. "When you get to know CK you will find out he is a soft spoken and gentle person, on the soccer field he is a magician. CK had a knack for scoring goals in over time, scoring on diving headers, or scoring on jaw dropping shots. Why do it easy when you can do magic! He has great skills, is a great teammate and a joy to coach."
Evans Tackie-Yarboi (West Jordan, Utah/Cooper Hills) led the team in assists with seven, and also posted four goals this season. Coach Pipal spoke about the difference maker Tackie-Yarboi was this season. "Evans was asked to move from forward to outside midfielder in order to free up space for Joe Nuah and pressure opposing teams defensive edges. Although Evans has been a forward for his first three years he was willing to make the change. What a difference Evans made for the team. Instead of being asked to score, I asked him to be an assist person, which requires a whole different type of play. He went out with a bang his senior year."
All-Conference Honorable Mention
Even as a defender Henry Ndikum (Cameroon/West Lutheran) managed a goal this season. Like fellow defender DuTremaine, Ndikum's contributions rarely were reflected in the stats, despite that fact his aggressive and competitive style was recognized by the opposition. "I asked Henry, who has been a forward all his life, to be a great defender for the team last year. He was reluctant at first but decide to give it a try. It's like telling a little boy to give up his favorite toy, not easily done. The learning curve is big but I told him I believed that he could be the best in the conference if he put his mind to it. With Henry's speed and excellent skills all he needed was to decide to be a great defender and it would happen. I guess Henry made a decision."
Joe Nuah's (St. Paul, Minn./Arlington) speed was just one aspect that set him apart from the rest of the players. A constant offensive threat, Nuah was the team's second leading scorer with eight goals and two assists. "Our offense starts and stops with Joe Nuah. Joe makes opposing defenses stay back or he will definitely get behind you and cause problems. He has excellent speed and skill that opens up opportunities for his teammates. Joe was healthy all season and as a result BLC had its best year in UMAC history."
Senior keeper Cameron Koopman (Phelps, Wis./Phelps) averaged a 0.90 goals against average this year, and a 0.80 goals against average during the conference season, good enough for third best in the UMAC. His .825 save percentage was also third best in the conference. "The team had 10 saves this year due to great defense and excellent goal keeping," Coach Pipal said. "Cam made the most of his senior year by recording the most shutouts in Bethany Lutheran history since joining the UMAC, and topped it off with Honorable Mention All-Conference honors."
All-Conference Rookie of the Year
Johnny Luna (Reno, Nev./Incline) was a key defender for the Vikings. The addition to Luna in the back was an essential component to the Vikings improvement from last season. "The only difference from last year to this year on defense is Johnny. Though not the tallest, he can out head anyone on the team. He has great skills, a great header, and vision that few will ever hope to have. With all the skills and talent that Johnny has, his greatest attribute is that he is humble. There were many good freshmen in the conference this year but I truly believe Johnny was the one that made the most difference."
