CSC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Six Saint John's University student-athletes were named to the College Sports Communicators (formerly College Sports Information Directors of America, CoSIDA) Academic All-District IV men's soccer team on Tuesday, Nov. 15.

Senior defender Cavin Allen (Excelsior, Minn./Chanhassen), senior midfielder Matt D. Anderson (Omaha, Neb./Creighton Prep), senior defender Aidan Becken (Prior Lake, Minn.), senior forward Drew Engel (De Pere, Wis.), sophomore goalkeeper Evan Siefken (Lakeville, Minn./North) and junior midfielder Jack Simonet (Minneapolis, Minn./Minnetonka) earned the academic honor.

A new format for the 2022-23 academic year, each institution may nominate up to six student-athletes for Academic All-District recognition. Nominees must be a sophomore or better with a 3.5 cumulative GPA or higher.

All of the Academic All-District awardees are now eligible for Academic All-America distinction, which will be voted on by organization members and announced on Wednesday, Dec. 7.

A biology major (pre-medicine emphasis) with a 4.0 GPA, Becken earned CoSIDA Academic All-America and Academic All-District honors in 2021. The 6-foot-5 defender played 17 games this fall and totaled five points (2g/1a), including game-winning goals Sept. 28 vs. Concordia and Oct. 15 at Hamline. He was All-MIAC honorable mention in 2021 and 2022, and will earn his third Academic All-MIAC honor in January. Becken ended his career with 13 points (5g/3a) and three game-winners in 45 contests.

A computer science major with a 3.98 GPA, Allen played all 18 games this fall and collected three points (1g/1a). He is in line to earn his third Academic All-MIAC honor and ended his career with 13 points (5g/3a) and one game-winning goal in 57 career matches.

Anderson is a psychology major with a 3.88 GPA and tied for the team lead in goals (5), game-winning goals (2) and points (11) in 16 games this fall. He was named to the inaugural 2022 MIAC All-Playoff team and earned All-MIAC first-team honors in 2021. Anderson ended his SJU career with 33 points (13g/7a), including five game-winners, in 56 games and will be a three-time Academic All-MIAC honoree.

Engel took advantage of the extra year of eligibility granted by the NCAA due to the COVID-19 pandemic and collected two assists in 16 games this fall. A biology major with a 3.87 GPA, Engel served as SJU's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC) president during the 2021-22 academic year and will be a three-time Academic All-MIAC honoree. He finished with eight points (2g/4a) and a game-winning goal in 54 career games and begins a seven-month stint in Cuernavaca, Mexico with the Benedictine Volunteer Corps.

An accounting major with a 3.88 GPA, Simonet played all 18 games, with six starts, in 2022 and tallied an assist. He is likely to earn his second Academic All-MIAC distinction in January.

Siefken was named to the 2022 All-MIAC first team after he posted a 7-7-3 record with five shutouts (four individual, one shared) in net this season. A global business leadership major with a 3.64 GPA, Siefken earned United Soccer Coaches All-Region IX third-team honors and was All-MIAC honorable mention last fall.

The Johnnies finished sixth in the conference with a 4-5-1 record (8-7-3 overall) and made their 11th trip to the semifinals in 12 MIAC Playoff appearances in 2022.