Grytdal, Haraldstad and Wille earned Academic All-District honors from College Sports Communicators

MILLIGAN, Tenn. (November 15, 2022) – A trio of Milligan University men's soccer players collected Academic All-District honors from the College Sports Communicators on Tuesday.

Junior defender Marius Grytdal, junior midfielder Simen Haraldstad and sophomore goalkeeper Ludvig Wille each made their first appearance on the Academic All-District squads.

The trio of players contributed to Milligan boasting one of the top defensive units in the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) as Milligan owned the No. 1 goals against average in the league (0.83) and totaled eight shutouts. Heading into the NAIA National Championship Opening Round, the Buffs have not allowed a goal in the last 437:50 of game time. Haraldstad and Wille were tabbed as AAC All-Tournament Team members following the conference postseason tournament.

Haraldstad, a team captain and business major with a 3.90 GPA, started 16 games for the Buffs as a defensive midfielder. A 2021 All-AAC Second Team selection, he excelled at winning balls in the air and controlling possession in the middle of the field.

Wille secured an all-conference nod in his first season as a start in net for the Buffs. He led the AAC in goals against average (0.85) and posted 110-minute shutouts in both of Milligan's conference tournament games. Memorably he saved a pair of penalty kicks in the AAC quarterfinals against Union to help the Buffs advance in postseason play. Wille has a 3.53 GPA as a business major.

Grytdal appeared in 14 games and made a dozen starts at center back and had a hand in seven of Milligan's eight shutouts this fall. He is an economics major and owns a 3.95 cumulative GPA.

Haraldstad, Grytdal and Wille advance to the CSC Academic All-America ballot.

Milligan men's soccer takes on No. 21 Warner Pacific in the NAIA National Championship Opening Round on Thursday in Mobile, Ala.