FREDERICKSBURG, Va. - Christopher Newport senior midfielder Jimmy Grace was named Capital Athletic Conference Player of the Year for the second year in a row to lead the 2017 All-CAC Men's Soccer Team. Mary Washington head coach Jason Kilby was also a repeat winner as Coach of the Year, while UMW freshman Jeremy Hokenson earned the other major award as Rookie of the Year.
Grace becomes the fifth player in conference history to receive multiple CAC Player of the Year honors, joining former CNU teammate Jalon Brown (2013-14), Frostburg State's Ryan Russell (2011-12), York's Jon Ports (2007-08), and UMW's Tony Trepal (1991-92) as multi-year recipients of the CAC's top honor. Grace also becomes the first player in conference history to win multiple Player of the Year honors and Rookie of the Year throughout their career. Graces was CAC Rookie of the Year in 2013.
UMW, which captured its first CAC crown since 2001 with a 3-1 triumph over CNU this past Saturday, secured the other major awards. Kilby was selected by his peers as Coach of the Year for the second straight season and third time overall, while Hokenson became just the second Eagle to earn Rookie of the Year honors. Bryan Hargrove won the award for UMW back in 2003.
CNU and UMW led the list of All-CAC selections with six honorees apiece. The Eagles placed a pair of juniors on the All-CAC first team - midfielder Ryan Van Maanen and defender Colin Travis. Travis was a repeat first-team selection. A quartet of UMW players landed on the second team, with Hokenson, junior forward Justin Carey, junior defender Gary Foley, and senior goalkeeper Matt Spencer. Foley was the only repeat all-star of the group, having also earned second team honors in 2016.
Headlined by Grace, CNU secured a conference-leading four spots on the All-CAC first team. Senior forward Andrew Gogolin and junior forward Stephen Durbin were repeat first-team selections, while junior defender Bobby Seifert made his way onto the first team after earning second team accolades last fall. Second-team all-stars for the Captains were junior midfielder Andrew Maeso and senior defender Zach Douglass, both first-time award winners.
St. Mary's, which finished second in the CAC regular season, received five spots on the all-conference squad, including four first-teamers. Junior Juwan Kearson collected his third-straight All-CAC honor, sophomore Khalid Balogun, the 2016 Rookie of the Year, made it back-to-back first-team appearances, senior defender Andrew Battin picked up the third all-star honor of his career (2nd in '16, 1st in '14), and senior goalkeeper Zack Haussler was a repeat all-star, collecting first-team honors after landing on the second team last season. Senior midfielder Sunny Chhatani rounded out the Seahawk all-stars as a second-team selection.
York received three spots on the All-CAC team, led by sophomore defender Brook Addisu on the first team. Senior midfielder Chriss Hobbs and freshman forward Zion Friday were named to the second team for the Spartans. It marked the first all-star honors for all three players.
Salisbury and Penn State Harrisburg both placed two players on the All-CAC second team. The Salisbury defensive duo of seniors Nick Carrington and Michael Kramer grabbed all-star honors for the Sea Gulls, while Penn State Harrisburg senior forward Chase Vilga and senior midfielder Victor Weaver earned All-CAC accolades for the Lions. Weaver was also a second-teamer in 2016.
Frostburg State senior Ernie Williams was named to the first team after earning second team honors in 2016, while Wesley junior forward Chimaobi Ikwuagwu represented the Wolverines on the all-star squad as a first-team pick.
2017 CAC Player of the Year: Jimmy Grace, Christopher Newport (2nd straight year)
2017 CAC Rookie of the Year: Jeremy Hokenson, Mary Washington
2017 CAC Coach of the Year: Jason Kilby, Mary Washington (2nd straight, 3rd overall, also in 2012 & 2016)
2017 All-CAC Men's Soccer First Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | TEAM | HOMETOWN/HS | PREVIOUS ALL-CAC HONORS |
| Khalid Balogun | So. | For | St. Mary's | Bowie, Md./Bowie | 1st & ROY in '16 |
| Stephen Durbin | Jr. | For | Christopher Newport | Burke, Va./Lake Braddock | 1st in '16 |
| Andrew Gogolin | Sr. | For | Christopher Newport | Stafford, Va./Colonial Forge | 1st in '16 |
| Chimaobi Ikwuagwu | Jr. | For | Wesley | Camden, Del./Caesar Rodney | |
| Jimmy Grace | Sr. | Mid | Christopher Newport | Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods | 1st & POY in '16, 2nd in '14, 2nd & ROY in '13 |
| Juwan Kearson | Jr. | Mid | St. Mary's | Baltimore, Md./St. Paul's | 1st in '16, 2nd in '15 |
| Ernie Williams | Sr. | Mid | Frostburg State | Brookville, Md./Sherwood | 2nd in '16 |
| Ryan Van Maanen | Jr. | Mid | Mary Washington | Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park | |
| Brook Addisu | So. | Def | York | Silver Spring, Md./DeMatha | |
| Andrew Battin | Sr. | Def | St. Mary's | Boyds, Md./Clarksburg | 2nd in '16, 1st in '14 |
| Bobby Seifert | Jr. | Def | Christopher Newport | Springfield, Va./Lake Braddock | 2nd in '16 |
| Colin Travis | Sr. | Def | Mary Washington | Leonardtown, Md./St. Mary's Ryken | 1st in '16 |
| Zack Haussler | Sr. | GK | St. Mary's | Woodbine, Md./Glenelg | 2nd in '16 |
2017 All-CAC Men's Soccer Second Team
| NAME | YR. | POS. | TEAM | HOMETOWN/HS | PREVIOUS ALL-CAC HONORS |
| Justin Carey | Jr. | For | Mary Washington | Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora | |
| Zion Friday | Fr. | For | York | Bethesda, Md./Walter Johnson | |
| Jeremy Hokenson | Fr. | For | Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, Va./Courtland | |
| Chase Vilga | Sr. | For | Penn State Harrisburg | Mount Joy, Pa./Donegal | |
| Sunny Chhatani | Sr. | Mid | St. Mary's | Lima, Peru/Indian Creek School (Md.) | |
| Chriss Hobbs | Sr. | Mid | York | Horsham, Pa./Hatboro-Horsham | |
| Andrew Maeso | Jr. | Mid | Christopher Newport | Williamsburg, Va./Bruton | |
| Victor Weaver | Sr. | Mid | Penn State Harrisburg | Escuintla, Guat./Penn. Leadership Charter | 2nd in '16 |
| Nick Carrington | Sr. | Def | Salisbury | Old Bridge, N.J./Old Bridge | |
| Zach Douglass | Sr. | Def | Christopher Newport | Woodbridge, Va./Forest Park | |
| Gary Foley | Jr. | Def | Mary Washington | Fredericksburg, Va./Riverbend | 2nd in '16 |
| Michael Kramer | Sr. | Def | Salisbury | Pasadena, Md./Mt. St. Joseph | |
| Matt Spencer | Sr. | GK | Mary Washington | Stafford, Va./Mountain View |