WICHITA FALLS, Texas -- Midwestern State's Mere Escobar rode an incredible goal scoring run to another historical milestone Wednesday afternoon.

The junior from Austin who scored 17 goals and dished out 13 assists earned D2CCA Ron Lenz NCAA Division II Player of the Year honors.

Escobar becomes the first MSU student-athlete to achieve national player of the year status, while earning first-team All-America honors for the first time in his career. The 5-9 forward/midfielder was a D2CCA second-team honoree last season while gaining third-team mention from the United Soccer Coaches.

The Mustangs also placed seniors Maycol Reyes and Juan Galindo on the first team following an unbeaten run the through regular season, Lone Star Conference regular and postseason titles, and a trip to the third round of the NCAA Division II Championship.

Escobar was the leading goal scorer in the LSC and fifth in the nation with 17 goals for the Mustangs. The junior from Austin, Texas, also led the conference and was seventh in the nation with 13 assists. The crafty forward was second in the nation with 47 points, finishing one point behind Maximilian Kissel of Bridgeport.

His 17 goals this season have him tied for fifth all-time in MSU history, and tied for second with Brandon Swartzendruber (2006), Craig Sutherland (2008) and Albert Rodriguez (2015) for MSU players in the Division II era.

He finished two assists shy of the school record and is tied for third with Britt Harder (1990) and Ahmad Ihemidan (2008). Harder had 15 assists in 1991.

The veteran forward has 44 goals, 24 assists and 112 points in three seasons at MSU. Escobar is the Division II leader in MSU history and sixth overall in career goals. He is 10th in career assists at MSU and tied for second among players in the Division II era. He is first among Division II players in points at MSU and sixth overall.

Escobar makes his third appearance on the United Soccer Coaches All-South Central Region team.

Reyes transferred to Midwestern State from North Carolina-Greensboro and established himself as the LSC Midfielder of the Year and the LSC Newcomer of the Year. Reyes finished the season with nine goals and five assists.

Reyes was fifth in the LSC and 63rd in the nation with 23 points this season. He was fourth in the conference among goal scorers and 10th among league leaders in assists.

The native of Midlothian, Texas, had two goals and two assists in a 5-1 victory at Lubbock Christian. He netted a hat trick in a 4-0 win over St. Edward's as Midwestern State clinched the regular season title in the Lone Star Conference. In the championship game of the LSC Tournament, Reyes scored twice as MSU routed Dallas Baptist, 5-0.

Galindo was the LSC Defensive Player of the Year, and the senior from Dripping Springs, Texas, anchored a defense that only conceded 13 goals in 22 matches this season. Rogers State, Texas A&M – International, and West Texas A&M were the only schools to score more than one goal in a match against the Mustangs this season. Galindo had two goals and an assist.
  

2023 D2CCA Men's Soccer All-America Teams

 

First Team

Position	Student-Athlete	School	Year	Hometown
F	Younes Addar Khanoussi	Franklin Pierce	Sr.	Castellon, Spain
F	Daniel Burko	Lincoln Memorial	So.	Lovenstad, Norway
F	Mere Escobar	Midwestern State	Jr.	Austin, Texas
F	Maximilian Kissel	Bridgeport	So.	Wiesbaden, Germany
MF	James Pool	Gannon	Sr.	Hastings, England
MF	Maycol Reyes	Midwestern State	Sr.	Midlothian, Texas
MF	Geo Rios	Clayton State	Sr.	Lawrenceville, Ga.
MF	Dylan Sumner	Mercyhurst	Jr.	Manchester, England
D	Iker Berruezo	Barry	Sr.	Garinoain, Spain
D	Pau Ferrer	Gannon	So.	Valencia, Spain
D	Juan Galindo	Midwestern State	Sr.	Dripping Springs, Texas
D	Rodrigo Parafita Bestilliero	Franklin Pierce	Sr.	A Coruna, Spain
GK	Andrea Scapolo	Illinois-Springfield	Sr.	Milan, Italy

Second Team

Position	Student-Athlete	School	Year	Hometown
F	Gabriel Campora	Colorado State-Pueblo	Sr.	Saltilla, Mexico
F	Anton Hjalmarsson	Fort Lewis	Fr.	Smalandsstenar, Sweden
F	Tinashe Katsande	Gannon	Sr.	Norwich, England
F	Hugo Lorenzo	Purdue Northwest	Sr.	Madrid, Spain
MF	Oliver Diaz	Cal State LA	Sr.	Hawthorne, Calif.
MF	Adolfo Martinez Paquet	Queens (N.Y.)	Sr.	Sevilla, Spain
MF	Lukas Rietzler	Lynn	Sr.	Marktoberdorf, Germany
MF	Vander Rocha	Ashland	Sr.	Natal, Brazil
D	Adrian Adames	Illinois-Springfield	Sr.	Bilbao, Spain
D	Shjon Andrews	Colorado State-Pueblo	Sr.	Longmont, Colo.
D	Niko Papakyriakopoulous	Simon Fraser	Sr.	New Westminster, B.C.
D	Cesar Ruvalcaba	Cal Poly Pomona	Sr.	South Gate, Calif.
GK	Marc Torrado	Charleston	Sr.	Valencia, Spain

Third Team

Position	Student-Athlete	School	Year	Hometown
F	Christian Hatley	Lander	So.	Nottingham, England
F	Alexis Iturria	Clayton State	Jr.	Hampton, Germany
F	David Polanco	Barry	Jr.	Key Biscayne, Fla.
F	Unaiz Shaljani	Southern Nazarene	Jr.	Nairobi, Kenya
MF	Jeronimo Ferrando Ferri	Franklin Pierce	Sr.	Valencia, Spain
MF	Davis McBee	Belmont Abbey	Sr.	Gastonia, N.C.
MF	Tim Smith	Maryville	Sr.	Lee's Summit, Mo.
MF	Nazar Tsaruk	Rollins	Sr.	Orlando, Fla.
D	Amara Kamara	Tiffin	Jr.	Montserrado, Liberia
D	Felix Nassen	Post	Sr.	Stockholm, Sweden
D	Andrew Portis	Cal State LA	So.	Temecula, Calif.
D	Pedro Santos	Wingate	Jr.	Sao Paulo, Brazil
GK	Henrik Dahl	Limestone	Fr.	Kristiansand, Norway