Men's Soccer | 11/13/2024 2:30:00 PM

LOCK HAVEN, Pa. - A program-record seven members of the Bloomsburg men's soccer team received all-conference honors from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference (PSAC), as announced by the conference Wednesday afternoon.  

The seven players receiving all-conference honors include Kody Besser (Lacey Township, N.J./Lacey Township), Owen Hollobaugh (State College, Pa./State College), Brady Rimple (Cherryville, Pa./Northampton Area), Anthony Schlee (Baltimore, Md./Archbishop Curley), Teagan Wallace (Lumberton, N.J./Rancocas Valley Regional), Patrick Walsh (Macungie, Pa./Emmaus), and Alex Wilsterman (Orefield, Pa./Parkland). In addition to the seven student-athletes, head coach Mark Bassett earned PSAC East Coach of the Year honors for the second time in his time at the helm. Besser and Wilsterman are just the eighth and ninth players in Bloomsburg men's soccer team history to receive all-conference honors three times.

Bassett leads his septet of student-athletes with his second Coach of the Year award in his four seasons. Bassett led Bloomsburg to its second 14-win season in his tenure, matching the program record for wins in a season. Bassett additionally led the Huskies to their second East Division regular-season title in three seasons, hosting the PSAC Championships for the second time in the same span. Bassett has coached Bloomsburg men's soccer to 23 total all-conference selections in his four seasons. In his time in charge, Bassett has amassed a record of 48-21-7 with a 25-14-5 mark in conference play. Bassett joins former head coach Paul Payne as the only coaches in program history to receive PSAC Coach of the Year honors twice.

On the field, Walsh was a pivotal piece on both ends of the field. Walsh receives his first-career first-team All-PSAC East nod while garnering PSAC East Defender of the Year honors. The honor is the second Player of the Year honor in program history for the Huskies and the first Defensive Athlete of the Year recognition for Bloomsburg. It is the second All-PSAC Team made by Walsh, with the defender earning second-team honors in 2022.

Rimple earns his first all-conference honor in his third season as the starting goalkeeper for the Huskies. The Cherryville, Pa. native's final campaign for Bloomsburg etched him into the team's history, recording nine solo shutouts and one combined shutout to secure the single-season and program record (20) for clean sheets. The goalkeeper was the lynchpin of the best scoring defense in the conference, allowing .67 goals per contest and helping the team to a conference-best .789 save percentage. Individually, Rimple finished with a .72 goal against average, a .778 save percentage, and 42 total stops.

Besser earns his second-consecutive first-team All-PSAC honor following another season anchoring the Huskies' defense. Not only did Besser make a tremendous impact in the defensive half, but the junior was a major contributor to Bloomsburg's set-piece tactics. The defender finished second on the team in points with four goals and a career-high five assists. The Lacey Township, N.J. native earned PSAC East Athlete of the Week honors once and was twice the PSAC East Defensive Athlete of the Week. The all-conference nod is the third of Besser's career, earning first-team honors in 2023 and 2024 with a second-team bid in 2022.

Wallace wrapped up his fourth season for the Huskies with his second-career all-conference nomination. The midfielder finished the regular season with a career-high nine points while notching a career-best five assists. The defensive arm of the Bloomsburg midfield played a pivotal role on both ends of the field as the team's engine. The first-team all-conference honor makes it two consecutive seasons, receiving recognition after earning a spot on the East Second Team a season ago. 

The final first-team honoree is last season's PSAC East Freshman of the Year in Hollobaugh. After earning the top first-year honor and garnering a spot on the East Second Team, the sophomore elevated his play into a prominent role in the Bloomsburg attack. The forward matched his goal total from a season ago and is one of three players on the squad to reach 10 points in the last two seasons, with eight goals in his time as a Husky. Hollobaugh is the first Bloomsburg forward since 2019 to receive a first-team All-PSAC East spot.

In addition to the program-record five first-team selections, Schlee and Wilsterman received bids to the All-PSAC East Second Team. Schlee picks up his second all-conference accolade and second bid on the second team following a season with eight points (2 goals, 4 assists), matching his career-best total in helpers. Schlee's honor comes as the team's active career points leader, with 46 to his name, including 17 goals and 12 assists.

Wilsterman rounds out the all-conference selections with the third nomination of his career. The graduate midfielder earned a spot on the All-PSAC East for the first time in 2021 before garnering all-conference recognition featuring first-team All-PSAC East in 2023. Wilsterman joins Besser and Hollobaugh as the only three players to reach double-digit points in the last two seasons and is one of three players with Besser and Schlee as players with 10 or more points in three of the last four seasons. Wilsterman totaled four goals and matched a career-high with three assists while playing a key role in the middle of the park.