Moreno and Sweeney win top conference honors; Men’s Soccer places a league-high eight players on All-AAC teams

WALESKA, Ga. (November 6, 2023) – The No. 22 Milligan University men's soccer team had a league-high eight players earn all-conference honors with graduate forward Inaki Moreno and first-year head coach Paddy Sweeney claimed major awards as the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) announced its all-league teams on Tuesday.

Moreno was tabbed as the AAC Player of the Year and Sweeney was named the Co-Coach of the Year laurels after leading the Buffs to the regular season conference title for the seventh time in team history.

Moreno was joined on the All-AAC First Team by graduate forward Santiago Corral, senior midfielder Simen Haraldstad, senior defender Greg Anderson and junior defender Elies Simo. Senior forward Jett Carter, junior midfielder Boikaego Mbaakanyi and freshman goalkeeper Adria Alles earned All-AAC Second Team honors.

Moreno follows in the footsteps of Luke Bennett, Robert Fernandez Garrido, Chris Ochieng, and David Lilly as AAC Player of the Year. He enjoyed a record-breaking campaign in which he led the nation and set Milligan's single-season record for assists with 30, the third-most in NAIA history. Moreno became Milligan's all-time career leader in points (115) and assists (57) during the season. He is the active career leader in assists across all levels of college soccer. Moreno had nine multi-assist outings, including five games with at least three assists this fall.

Moreno was previously named the AAC Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and collected NAIA All-America honorable mention honors that season. Moreno more than doubled his total goals, assists and points from that season in 2023. He scored a career-high 14 goals and racked up 58 points in 2023.

Moreno recorded a point in 16 of 19 games this fall, including in five wins over nationally ranked teams or teams receiving votes in the NAIA top 25. Moreno's signature performance came in the Buffs' 3-0 win over No. 14 when he assisted a goal and scored in the final 10 minutes of regulation.

Corral collected all-conference honors in his lone season with the Buffs as a graduate transfer. He emerged as one of the top goal-scoring threats in the conference. He tied for second in the AAC with Moreno with 14 goals and shots on goal (36). He ranks third in the league in points (31) and shots (64).

Corral scored game-winning goals in victories over Carolina, (RV) WVU Tech and Columbia (S.C.). He earned NAIA National Offensive Player of the Week honors after posting hat tricks in back-to-back games at Kentucky Christian and Montreat. He scored in three games against nationally ranked teams or teams receiving votes in the NAIA top 25.

Haraldstad is a two-time all-conference selection after being named as an all-league defender in 2021 A team captain and four-year starter, Haraldstad is one of the top holding midfielders and ball-winners in the conference. He enjoyed a career year statistically in 2023 with five goals, two assists and 12 points. He memorably scored in the final second of regulation to deliver the Buffs to a 2-1 conference victory over Bryan in September.

Anderson and Simo helped Milligan's defense lead the AAC with a 0.78 goals against average and rank second in the nation with 10 shutouts. Milligan's defense limited opponents to 7.12 shots per game in 2023.

Anderson earns all-conference honors as a defender in 2023 after collecting All-AAC Second Team laurels as a forward last fall. After Milligan's 2-2 start he shifted to center back for the next 15 games in which the Buffs posted a 12-0-3 record and allowed just eight goals. Anderson still scored six goals, primarily on set pieces, including an equalizer in the Buffs' 2-1 conference victory over Truett McConnell.

Simo is a first-time all-conference selection in his third season as a starter along Milligan's back line. He remained an active offensive threat on set pieces with four goals and set a career high with five assists in 2023.

Carter is a two-time All-AAC Second Team selection after previous recognition in 2021. He scored five goals and had a career-high four assist this fall. He scored the game-winning goal in the 106th minute in double overtime to deliver the Buffs past Reinhardt in the AAC Tournament quarterfinals last week. Over his four seasons at Milligan, he has proved to be one of the top substitutes and second-half goal scorers in the league.

Mbaakanyi secures all-league honors in his first year as a Buff as a pacey winger. He scored seven goals and posted four assists as the Buffs went 8-0 in games in which he recorded a point. Mbaakanyi scored the game-winner in Milligan's early-season win at (RV) Cumberland and in Milligan's conference win at Johnson.

Alles receives all-conference applause after leading the AAC with 0.72 goals against average. He posted a 9-1-3 record and had a hand in eight shutouts in 2023. He made a season-high eight saves in Milligan's 3-0 win over No. 14 Union who entered the matchup with a top-10 scoring offense nationally. In a dozen conference games, he allowed seven goals and posted an .806 save percentage.

In Sweeney's first year as the head man at Milligan, he led the Buffs to a 14-2-3 overall record and an unbeaten 10-0-3 mark in AAC play. After a 2-2 start, the Buffs reeled off 15-straight games without a defeat and took home the regular season title with 33 points in the conference standings. The Buffs broke into the national polls as the No. 22 team in the nation last week. With 78 goals on the season, Milligan set the program's singles-season scoring record and ranks third in the nation. The Buffs own a top-five scoring offense nationally (4.11 GFA) and a top-25 scoring defense (0.78 GAA).

Milligan hosts St. Andrews in an AAC Tournament semifinal tonight at Anglin Field at 5:00 p.m.