For the first time since 2007, a trio of Gettysburg College men’s soccer players captured United Soccer Coaches’ Division III All-Mid-Atlantic Region Team
The postseason honors continue to roll in for the Bullets as senior defender Ezekiel Omosanya (Lagos, Nigeria/Northfield Mount Hermon [Mass.]) and sophomore forward Oladayo Thomas (Lagos, Nigeria/The Masters [N.Y.]) were tabbed with first-team laurels, while senior defender Raff Mazzone (Nottingham, Md./Loyola Blakefield) was awarded third-team honors.
The last time the Bullets landed three all-region recipients was back in 2007.
Omosanya and Mazzone were a guiding force for the Bullets backline once again this season. The duo led a defensive unit to a 1.40 goals-against average, six shutouts, with a pair of those coming against regionally ranked teams, and held three additional opponents to one goal.
Omosanya finished his spectacular career as one of the program’s best defenders and is now the first-ever four-time all-region honoree in Gettysburg men’s soccer history. He also joined an elite group by becoming one of seven players in Centennial Conference history as a four-time first-team All-CC selection. Throughout his career in the orange and blue, he started in 66 of 67 career games, logged in nine goals and one assist for 19 points, and holds the top spot in career minutes played in program history. This season, Omosanya scored a career-high nine points (four goals, one assist), tied for second all-time in penalty kicks made in a season with three and ranks third in career penalty kicks made with four.
Thomas earned his first career all-region award after producing career-highs on the offensive attack. He accumulated 15 goals and four assists for 34 points, finishing first on the squad. Thomas also garnered his second consecutive first-team all-conference honors and finished first in the conference in goals (15), points (34), and game-winners (eight). He closed out his phenomenal sophomore campaign ranked tied for third in game-winning goals (eight), sixth in goals (15), and tied for ninth in points (34) in Gettysburg’s single-season record book. The Bullets held an 11-2-1 record when Thomas corralled a point or more in a game this season. He was also named the Centennial Conference Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in his career back on Oct. 22.
Mazzone closed his career as a Bullet by seeing action in 69 career games while starting 67. The senior defender did an outstanding job contributing on both sides of the field this season as he registered a career-high seven assists, which ranked first on the team and tied for fourth in the conference. He dished a season-high two assists at Muhlenberg and totaled 12 points (one goal, 10 assists) in his four-year career.
Centennial Conference Tournament appearance. Gettysburg notched a ranking in the United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional poll eight times this season, with the highest coming in at No. 7. The Bullets also earned a spot in all the NCAA Division III Mid-Atlantic Regional, closing the season at No. 5. The Bullets also received an at-large berth into the NCAA Division III Tournament for the first time since 2001. They blanked No. 22 Oglethorpe University 5-0 in the opening round of the tournament and fell 3-2 against No. 11 Washington & Lee University in the second round. The opening round win was the first since 1998.