Garrido wins AAC Player of the Year

MILLIGAN COLLEGE, Tenn. (Nov. 15, 2019) – Milligan College forward Roberto Fernandez Garrido has been voted the Appalachian Athletic Conference men's soccer player of the year, announced the league office Friday morning. Garrido led the Buffs, the AAC and the NAIA in scoring this season with 25 goals in 17 matches.

Additionally, Garrido earned a nod on the All-Conference first team while Ryan Kent earned a spot on the Champions of Character team. Jordan Burch, Diego Carrasco, Luis de la Torre, Garrido, Kent, Jan Kuepper and Andre Levarity earned Academic All-Conference.

Garrido's 25 goals remain the most by any player in the nation this season. His tally of 25 and average of 1.47 goals per game both rank No. 1 in the NAIA, and Garrido ranks in the top six in four other categories, including shots on goal per game, points per game, shots per game and total points.

Garrido scored two match-winning goals this season. His first helped Milligan top Point University, the reigning AAC champion, in the Buffs' AAC opener. He also scored two goals in a 3-1 win over No. 19 Tennessee Wesleyan University on Oct. 5.

Garrido recorded seven multigoal games and four hat tricks this season. He tallied a career high of five in the team's big win over Kentucky Christian University on Oct. 23. Garrido's effort in that game helped him garner NAIA Player of the Week Oct. 29.

Milligan finished the season 6-11 overall (5-6 AAC) and suffered a narrow loss, 2-1, to No. 2 seed Bryan College in the quarterfinals of the AAC tournament.