Six members of the Case Western Reserve University men's soccer team were selected to the College Sports Communicators Academic All-District Team as announced by the organization on Tuesday.
Senior Josh Cook, junior Kysen Kroeger, senior Alex Lippiatt, senior Jacob Salmon, senior Matt Vatne, and sophomore Bradley Winter each received the honor. Student-athletes must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically with a cumulative grade point average greater than 3.50 and must have competed in at least 90 percent or started in at least 66 percent of their team's games to be eligible for the award. A select group of student-athletes determined by the CSC will advance to the Academic All-America ballot. The full CSC membership will vote on the candidates, with three teams of Academic All-Americans released on Tuesday, December 19.
Cook, an All-University Athletic Association First Team selection this season, started all 17 matches on the Spartan backline, missing just 29 minutes of action over the entire season. CWRU shutout nine opponents in 2023, matching the program record set during the 2018 campaign, and allowed just 3.29 shots on goal per contest. In addition, Cook added two goals, including the game-winning goal against Brandeis. Cook has played in 47 matches in his career, making 46 starts, and scored four goals with two assists. This is his first career Academic All-District honor. A three-time UAA All-Academic honoree, Cook has a 3.90 cumulative GPA as an electrical engineering student.
Kroeger, a two-time UAA All-Academic honoree, played in all 17 matches for the Spartans, making starts in the team's final seven contests. He was third on the team with eight points on three goals and two assists, including a goal in Case Western Reserve's win over Hobart in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament. For his career, Kroeger has scored six goals and contributed two assists in 34 matches. A psychology major with a 3.93 cumulative GPA, this is his first career Academic All-District honor.
Lippiatt, who was named to the All-UAA Second Team this season, started every match as a defensive winger. The team's primary set piece taker, Lippiatt tallied six assists during the season in addition to helping the backline record nine shutouts. Two of his assists came in UAA contests, and he had one during the team's 3-2 win over Hobart in the first round of the NCAA Championship. Lippiatt started 44 matches during his career, totaling six goals and nine assists for 21 points. Last year, he was named to the CSC Academic All-America Second Team. A three-time UAA All-Academic honoree, Lippiatt has a perfect 4.00 cumulative GPA as an economics and finance double major.
Salmon, an All-UAA Second Team selection in 2023, started all 17 matches for the Spartans, scoring two goals during the season. He scored in each of the team's first two matches, tallying the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over Otterbein to open the season. Over his career, Salmon scored six goals and added five assists, playing in 48 matches, and making 36 starts. A three-time UAA All-Academic recipient, he has earned a 3.90 cumulative GPA as a computer engineering major. This is his second consecutive Academic All-District honor.
Vatne became the fourth player in program history to earn three All-UAA First Team selections after receiving the honor this season, joining former Spartans Vinny Bell, Chris Cvecko, and Mark Ruegsegger. He started every match for Case Western Reserve in 2023, leading the team with 16 points on four goals and a team-high eight assists. For his career, Vatne has played in 68 matches, making 58 starts, and scored 17 goals with 19 assists. His 53 career points are eighth most in program history and his assist total ranks fourth in Spartan history. Vatne, the conference's Offensive Player of the Year in 2022, was named to the CSC Academic All-America Third Team and United Soccer Coaches All-America Third Team last season. A computer science and mechanical engineering double major with a 3.73 cumulative GPA, Vatne has earned four UAA All-Academic honors.
In his first full season as a collegiate starter, Winter tied the program record with eight individual shutouts during the 2023 season. He allowed only 10 goals for a 0.59 goals-against average and saved 43 shots for a 0.811 save percentage. Winter was in front of the net for all but 15 minutes of the team's matches, starting every single contest. He received All-UAA honorable mention for his play in conference matches. A first-time Academic All-District and UAA All-Academic selection, Winter has a 3.87 cumulative GPA as a finance major.
The 2023 Academic All-District Men's Soccer Teams, selected by College Sports Communicators, recognize the nation's top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The CSC Academic All-America program separately recognizes soccer honorees in four divisions — NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III, and NAIA — for each gender.
The Division III CSC Academic All-America programs are partially financially supported by the NCAA Division III national governance structures to assist CSC with handling the awards fulfillment aspects for the 2023-24 Divisions III Academic All-America programs.
Following the draw and shootout loss in the team's NCAA Second Round matchup, the Spartans ended the 2023 season with a record of 10-3-4, matching their mark from last season. Case Western Reserve was making its second consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament for the first time in program history and fifth appearance overall.
