HAYS, Kan. – Fort Hays State had six men’s soccer student-athletes named to the D2CCA All-Central Region Team on Wednesday (Nov. 15). The team is voted on by athletic media relations directors within the Central Region. Derick Gonzalez earned Central Region Player of the Year honors and joining him on the first team is forward Abdoulaye Cisse and defender Killian Gorman. Second team selections went to forward Raul Fierro, midfielder Luis Mendez, and defender Luis Torres.

Named the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association (MIAA) Player of the Year and an All-MIAA First Team selection at midfielder, Gonzalez finished the regular season with a region-best 34 points, scoring 10 goals and adding 14 assists. The senior from Houston, Texas ranked 12th nationally in total points and second nationally in total assists as of November 6. Gonzalez enters the NCAA Tournament on a school record 15-match streak of recording at least one point (goal or assist).

Cisse has also been a force offensively for the Tigers with 23 points (8 goals, 7 assists). He ranks second on the team behind Gonzalez in both goals and assists. At one point in the season, Cisse had six consecutive matches with a goal. The Dallas, Texas junior was also an All-MIAA First Team selection this season.

Gorman, a senior from Manhattan, Kansas, is in his final year with the Tigers. He has been a constant in the Tiger lineup as a defender the last three years. He is helping the Tigers limit the opposition to 1.07 goals per match this year. Gorman also earned All-MIAA First Team honors.

Fierro, a junior from El Paso, Texas, is in his first year with the program. He has 16 points so far with seven goals and two assists. He had a hat-trick against Southwest Baptist in Hays on September 22. He was an all-conference second team selection.

Mendez, a first-team all-conference selection, earns second-team honors in the region this year after a first-team selection last year. Mendez was the MIAA Freshman of the Year last year and has done a solid job in the midfield once again with eight points this season (2 goals, 4 assists).

Torres, a D2CCA All-America selection last year, earns second-team honors in the region this year. Torres and Gorman were the only Tigers to log more than 1,500 minutes on the pitch during the regular season. Torres has four points with a goal and two assists.

Below is the 2017 D2CCA All-Central Region Team.

2017 D2CCA Men’s Soccer All-Central Region Team

First Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
GK Ryan Davis Northeastern State Sr. Dublin, Ireland
F Tinashe Chigede Ouachita Baptist Sr. Tulsa, Okla.
F Michele Ganz Lindenwood Fr. Agordo, Italy
F Abdoulaye Cisse Fort Hays State Jr. Dallas, Texas
F Thiago Dos Santos Oklahoma Baptist So. Natal, Brazil
MF Derick Gonzalez Fort Hays State Sr. Houston, Texas
MF Joe Garcia Northeastern State Jr. Grand Prairie, Texas
MF Gabriel Jaimes Lindenwood Sr. Pro La Cruz, Venezuela
MF Jason Diaz Harding Sr. Waco, Texas
D Christian Ramos Harding So. Denton, Texas
D Aaron Craig Harding Sr. Forney, Texas
D Killian Gorman Fort Hays State Sr. Manhattan, Kan.
D David Estrada Oklahoma Baptist Sr. Cancun, Mexico

Second Team
Pos Name School Yr Hometown
GK Tim Licht Lindenwood So. Munster, Germany
F Luis Romero Oklahoma Baptist Jr. Zaragoza, Spain
F Ruairidh Crawford Upper Iowa Sr. West Linton, Scotland
F Raul Fierro Fort Hays State Jr. El Paso, Texas
F Andre Cunha Harding Sr. Cristalina, Brazil
MF Alejandro Castillo Oklahoma Baptist So. Peralta, Spain
MF Luis Mendez Fort Hays State So. Arlington, Texas
MF Blaine Hickman Ouachita Baptist Sr. Royse City, Texas
MF Italo Martins Soares Upper Iowa Fr. Brasilia, Brazil
D Tyler Mouton Ouachita Baptist Sr. Flower Mound, Texas
D Luis Torres Fort Hays State Jr. Asuncion, Paraguay
D Jeremy Tutas Lindenwood Sr. Kewaskum, Wis.
D James Doyle Northeastern State Fr. Merseyside, England

Central Region Player of the Year: Derick Gonzalez, Fort Hays State, Sr., MF (Houston, Texas)