Eight Pioneers Collect WIAC Hardware

PLATTEVILLE, Wis. – Six members of the University of Wisconsin-Platteville men's soccer team were named to the 2024 All-WIAC Team on Friday afternoon, with junior Seth Aiken also taking home Kwik Trip Goalkeeper of the Year and senior Alex Wano earning Kwik Trip Defensive Player of the Year. Senior Lucas Schoeneberg, junior Ethan Dietrich, junior Danny Gutzwiller, and sophomore Justin Williams joined the duo on the All-WIAC Team, while senior Isaac Petersen was named Honorable Mention. Junior Kellen Klosterman picked up a spot on the WIAC All-Sportsmanship team.

Aiken paced the conference in goals against average (.602), save percentage (.794), and shutouts (7) en route to earning Kwik Trip Goalkeeper of the Year. Those numbers were even better in conference play, with the junior allowing just two goals on a .800 save percentage across five contests. The Mount Horeb native posted a record of 9-1-2 across his 13 games played and had a season-high five saves in a 1-0 win over St. Olaf on October 8. Aiken has been at his best down the stretch this season, with six shutouts in the past seven games.

Wano was a part of the Pioneers stellar backline that allowed a conference-low 0.56 goals per game. The senior also contributed on the offensive end, scoring six goals on 13 total shots. Several of his goals came in clutch moments, including game-winners in 1-0 wins over St. Olaf and MSOE and a last second score in a 1-1 draw with Luther. Wano added one assist on the year and finished tied for tenth in the conference with 13 points.

Schoeneberg started 15 of 16 games and joined Wano as the anchors of the UW-Platteville defense. The senior helped the Pioneers collect 10 total shutouts on the year, including four in conference play. Schoeneberg and the rest of the backline did a great job limiting scoring opportunities, as opponents finished with just 45 shots on frame over the course of the season, good for just 2.8 per game.

Dietrich led the Pioneers in goals (7), assists (7), and points (21), while tying for the team lead in shots (39). The junior ranked inside the top five in the conference in each of those categories and was also tied for third in game-winning goals with three. The Appleton native opened the season strong, scoring four goals and adding four assists across the team's first five matches, including a two-goal performance in a 6-0 win over Marian on September 14.

Gutzwiller matched his career-high in goals with six while starting all 15 of the games he played in. The junior tied for the team lead in shots with 39 and his 19 shots on goal were the most on the team. The Peoria, Illinois native scored two goals in back-to-back games midway through the season, both Pioneers wins.

Williams tallied two goals and five assists while patrolling the midfield for UW-Platteville. The sophomore finished with 25 total shots and nine on frame while earning 14 starts. His five assists were the second-most on the team, and he had several big assists on the season, including on the game-winning goal in a 1-0 win over MSOE in the season opener.

Petersen emerged as an offensive threat down the stretch, as all three of his goals and both assists came in the final seven games. The senior was the Pioneers top forward off the bench for much of the season, and his 21 total shots ranked fourth on the team. Petersen netted the game-winning goal in a 2-0 win over Dubuque on October 15 and assisted on the only goal in a 1-0 win against St. Olaf on October 8.

Klosterman was tabbed WIAC All-Sportsmanship after playing in 14 games and making four starts. The junior scored two goals on the season, both coming in the regular season finale against UW-Stevens Point, and added one assist.

The Pioneers host the WIAC Semifinal against UW-River Falls later tonight at 7 p.m.