ELON, N.C. – The Elon University men's soccer team had five players named to the 2022 United Soccer Coaches All-Atlantic Region teams as announced by the organization on Tuesday, Dec. 6.
Graduate students
Ryan Bilichuk and
Franc Gamiz Quer along with seniors
Mason Duval and
Vemund Hole Vik and sophomore
Scott Vatne were the Phoenix athletes honored. Bilichuk, Gamiz Quer, Hole Vik and Vatne were all first team choices while Duval was placed on the third team.
Bilichuk was a second team All-CAA selection in his first season in goal for the Phoenix. The Greenville, S.C., native set the program's single-season record for clean sheets this season with 11. His 0.63 goals against average was the second-best performance in a single season in school history. He earned CAA Defensive Player of the Week honors on Aug. 29 after helping the Phoenix to a pair of shutout wins at the John Rennie/Nike Classic at Duke University.
In his first season at Elon, Gamiz Quer made a huge impact on the Phoenix's backline this past season. The graduate student helped Elon to a school-record 11 clean sheets and only 12 goals allowed from his center back position. The Sabadell, Spain, native played every minute on the pitch this year and added an assist to his stat line.
Hole Vik became the second member of the program to be named CAA Defensive Player of the Year, joining Nathan Diehl in 2015. The Aalesund, Norway, native was a first team All-CAA choice and helped the maroon and gold post a league-best 11 shutouts on the season while holding opponents to 12 goals scored all year. Offensively, Hole Vik finished third on the team in points with 10 with his three goals and four assists. He's also scored a pair of game-winners this season and twice was honored on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week.
Coming off an All-Rookie campaign a year ago, Vatne earned his second All-CAA accolade during his sophomore season in 2022. The Klepp, Norway, native started 18 out of his 19 matches and tied for the team-lead in assists with six and finished second on the squad in points (12) and goals (three). He led the Phoenix in total shots with 39 with 20 of those coming on goal. Vatne was named the CAA Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 17.
Duval earned first team All-CAA honors this season as the George Town, Cayman Islands, native led the Phoenix in total points (14) and goals (seven). Duval scored three game-winning goals this season, including one versus North Carolina on Oct. 18 that helped the maroon and gold to its first-ever victory over the Tar Heels. His three game-winning goals finished in the top-five in the league and he was named the CAA's Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 24. He also was placed on the College Soccer News Team of the Week.
-- ELON --