COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — The No. 3-ranked Fort Lewis College men's soccer team dominated the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference postseason awards, RMAC Assistant Commissioner Eric Danner announced yesterday.

Six Skyhawks were named to the All-RMAC first and second teams, while Oige Kennedy was named Coach of the Year, Fabian Kling Defensive Player of the Year, and Ryan Wirth Goalkeeper of the Year.

Kling and Wirth were joined on the All-RMAC first team by Berekk Blackwell and Thomas Hoang. Cory Dean and Joey Madigan earned second team honors.

Kling is a 6-foot-3 senior defender from Holbein Gymnasium in Augsburg, Germany. A unanimous pick on the All-RMAC squad, he earned league honors for the third time in his career, having been named to the first team as a freshman in 2008 and the second team as a junior in 2010. Earlier this season, he was chosen as RMAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and to the RMAC All-Academic first team. He has previously been named to All-America third teams by both NSCAA and Daktronics in 2010 and has been named to four All-Central Region teams during his career. Despite playing central defense, Kling ranks seventh in FLC in goals (25) and 11th in total points (55). He's notched 10 total points (four goals, two assists) thus far in 2011, even though he missed the last seven games with a knee injury.

“He has been one of the best players to have ever represented Fort Lewis College and winning the RMAC Defensive Player of the Year after missing so many games through injury this season just shows the respect that everyone in the conference has for his abilities,” said Kennedy. “His attitude since the injury has been first class and he has still be in a very positive influence on the team from the sidelines.”

Wirth, a 5-foot-10 senior goalkeeper from Bayfield, Colo., earned All-RMAC accolades for the first time in his career. He currently ranks second in the nation in goals against average (0.389) and fifth in save percentage (.883). Previously this season, he earned RMAC Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 27 and Oct. 11. Wirth redshirted in 2007 and '08 before serving as backup to All-American Zane Wells on FLC's 2009 NCAA Division II national championship team. He split time with two other keepers in 2010 before cementing down the starting job in the season's final weeks. His junior campaign culminated with a nod on the RMAC All-Tournament team.

“It is great to see him finally get some recognition for all of his hard work that he has made as a Fort Lewis player,” said Kennedy. “As a keeper, he is extremely agile, a great communicator, and has an ability to come up with big saves when called upon in games. He is one of the top keepers not only in the conference but in the nation and he is a massive part of why we have such a great defensive record this season.”

Hoang, a 5-foot-11 senior forward from Liberty High School in Colorado Springs, Colo., made his first appearance on the All-RMAC first team after earning third team recognition in 2010. He previously earned NSCAA/Performance Subaru NCAA Division II All-Central Region second team honors as a junior, was named to the 2010 RMAC All-Tournament Team, and was picked as the RMAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 5, 2010. He ranks among FLC career leaders in assists (fourth, 29), total points (ninth, 67), and goals (12th, 19). He ranks among the NCAA Division II top five this season in assists (11) and fourth in assists per game (0.65).

“Thomas thoroughly deserved his first team selection,” said Kennedy. “He is one of our team's most offensive weapons and is a big part of our success so far this season. He has had to adapt to a new position this year and I think he has really blossomed as an attacking player who creates a lot of opportunities for his teammates and himself.”

Blackwell, a 6-foot-2 senior defender from Notre Dame Prep in Scottsdale, Ariz., earned All-RMAC honors for the first time in his career, although he has a bevy of academic honors. He was named to the RMAC All-Academic first team last month and second team in 2010 and is a two-time recipient of the D2 Athletic Directors Association/WeatherPORT Academic Achievement Award. Blackwell has notched one goal and one assist thus far in 2011. During his four-year career, Blackwell has tallied eight total points on three goals and two assists.

“He is by far having his best season as a Fort Lewis player this year,” said Kennedy. “He has been one of our most consistent players and has shown a great deal of leadership in the last few weeks of the season. I am delighted that he has gotten this recognition because he has been a big part of our nationally-ranked defense.”

Dean is a 5-foot-8 senior midfielder from Sandia High School in Albuquerque, N.M. The second team accolade was the first of his four-year Skyhawk career. Dean has scored four points on one goal and two assists in 2011. During his career, he's notched 21 points on seven goals and seven assists.

“Cory is a major part of the team's success this season,” said Kennedy. “He truly embodies what a box-to-box midfield player is and his work rate is second to no one in the country. He has stepped up for us in a big way this season and he again has taken on a major leadership role this year. He has all of the qualities that we as college coaches want to see in our student-athletes.”

Madigan, a 5-foot-9 senior midfielder from Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo., added second team All-RMAC accolades to his RMAC All-Academic second team award earlier this year. He's amassed 13 points on five goals and three assists in 2011 and has 26 career points on nine goals and eight assists.

“Joey is a quality player with tremendous ability on the ball to make things happen for his teammates,” said Kennedy. “I have always enjoyed watching him perform on the field because he is an entertainer with the ball and that's what our supporters want to come and see at Dirks Field. He has added a lot of consistency to his game this year which had meant he has become a more effective player for us.”

For Kennedy, 2011 marked the first time he's received the RMAC Coach of the Year honor, although he was previously named the CaptainU Division II Coach of the Year in 2009 after he led the Skyhawks to the NCAA-II title that season. His three-year record as head coach at FLC is 52-7-4 (.857).

“It really is a great honor to be given recognition by your peers,” said Kennedy. “I think they have a real appreciation of how much time and effort goes into being a college soccer coach. I am lucky to have a great support staff in (assistant coaches) David Oberholtzer, Jason Beswick, and Zane Wells and this award is an acknowledgement that all of our hard work is paying off.”

Fort Lewis (17-1-0 overall) will host the RMAC playoffs tomorrow through Sunday at Dirks Field. The first semifinal pits No. 2 seed Regis (13-3-1) against No. 3 seed Metro State (13-5-1) at 12:30 p.m. tomorrow. The Skyhawks then host No. 4 seed Colorado Mines (11-6-1) at 3:00 p.m. tomorrow. Semifinal winners will meet at 1 p.m. Sunday in the RMAC postseason championship game.

Because this is an RMAC playoff event, no previously issued passes or tickets will be accepted for the game. All fans, including FLC students, faculty, staff, boosters, retirees, and Athletic Hall of Fame members, must purchase tickets. Single-day prices are $10 for adults and $5 for students (ages 13 through college), children (ages 6-12), and senior citizens (ages 65 and older). Children age five and younger will be admitted free. All-session passes are also available for $15 for adults and $10 for all others.

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