MIAC Release

COLLEGEVILLE, Minn. – Saint John's senior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong) was named the MIAC Defensive Player of the Year, Gary Fasching '81 was named the MIAC John Gagliardi Coach of the Year for the fifth straight season (and sixth time in his 10-year tenure) and a program-record 15 Johnnies earned All-MIAC honors when the 2022 MIAC Football Awards were announced on Monday, Nov. 21.

SJU's 15 All-MIAC honorees:

-Senior linebacker Erik Bjork (Mahtomedi, Minn.)
-Junior wide receiver Jimmy Buck (Orono, Minn.)
-Senior offensive lineman T.J. Duerr (Buffalo, Minn./St. Michael-Albertville)
-Junior punter Spencer Ell (Morristown, Minn./Bethlehem Academy)
-Senior defensive lineman Metoriah Faoliu (Wildomar, Calif./Vista Murrieta)
-Senior offensive lineman Joe Jaeger (Lakeville, Minn./North)
-Senior cornerback John Kohler (Birchwood, Wis./Rice Lake)
-Senior tight end Alex Larson (Woodbury, Minn./East Ridge)
-Senior offensive lineman Cameron Murphy (Willmar, Minn.)
-Sophomore kicker Conor Murphy (Sioux Falls, S.D./O'Gorman)
-Senior safety Ethan Stark (Sartell, Minn./Sartell-St. Stephen)
-Junior quarterback Aaron Syverson (Minnetonka, Minn.)
-Senior running back Henry Trost (Lindstrom, Minn./Chisago Lakes)
-Senior defensive lineman Michael Wozniak (New Hope, Minn./Robbinsdale Armstrong)
-Sophomore linebacker Cooper Yaggie (Breckenridge, Minn.)

The All-MIAC honor is the second consecutive for Bjork, Faoliu, Larson, Trost and Wozniak.

Senior wide receiver Nick VanErp (Battle Lake, Minn./Ottertail Central) was named All-MIAC honorable mention.

Under a new format for the 2022 season, the MIAC transitioned the Most Valuable Player award for football into Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year. The conference also added a Rookie of the Year award in addition to the Mike Stam Lineman of the Year.

Wozniak led the MIAC with six sacks and totaled 31 tackles (13 solo), including 8.5 tackles for loss, and six quarterback hurries in conference play this fall. Overall, Wozniak has 40 tackles (18 solo), including 13.0 for a loss and nine sacks, as well as two forced fumbles and a blocked kick in 11 games. He has 19.5 tackles for loss and 12.5 sacks over his last 13 games going back to last season, and 31 tackles for loss and 19.5 sacks in 31 career games.

Fasching led SJU to a 7-1 MIAC record and its MIAC-record 36th conference title, its fourth consecutive, this fall. The Johnnies are making their 32nd postseason appearance (28th in Division III) and the current 10-1 record marks as the program's 25th 10-win season. 

Larson led the MIAC with 10 receiving touchdowns in conference play and his 46 catches (for 591 yards) were first among SJU receivers. His 60 points scored were second in the league. He broke SJU's record for career receiving touchdowns by a tight end this season (22) and is currently third in program history in receptions (99) and fourth in receiving yards (1,264) at that position. Overall, Larson leads SJU with 64 catches and his 14 receiving touchdowns are good for sixth-most by a Johnnie in a single season. The 14 receiving touchdowns are currently fourth-most in NCAA Division III.    

Syverson finished second in the MIAC with 2,256 passing yads and 25 touchdowns in conference play. Overall, Syverson is fifth in Division III in passing yards (3,058) and sixth in passing touchdowns (34). He has completed 64.4 percent (235-for-365) of his passes and touts a 160.6 pass-efficiency rating this fall. In SJU's record book, Syverson's season totals are currently fifth in both completions (235) and attempts (365), sixth in passing yards and passing touchdowns, and eighth in total offense (3,058). His career totals place him in a tie for seventh in passing touchdowns (51) and eighth in four other stats: attempts (553), completions (360), passing yards (4,826) and total yards (4,951). 

Trost finished second in the MIAC in rushing touchdowns (7) and led SJU with 422 rushing yards in seven conference games played this season. He leads the Johnnies with 470 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns, despite missing two games due to injury. Trost has scored 41 rushing touchdowns in his career and 46 total as a Johnnie (41 rushing, five receiving). The 46 total touchdowns are the fourth-most in SJU history, while the 41 rushing scores are seven behind the tie between Sam Sura '16 and Matt Malmberg '95 for the program record. 

An All-MIAC second-team selection last season, Buck caught 39 passes for 556 yards and six touchdowns, the second-most by a Johnnie this season, in conference play. He is currently second on the team in all three receiving categories: receptions (62), yards (828) and touchdowns (8). 

Duerr, Jaeger and Cameron Murphy battled in the trenches for an SJU offense that led the MIAC in total offense (452.0 ypg.), for the fourth consecutive season, and scoring offense (40.4 ppg.) for the second straight year in conference play. The Johnnies finished second in passing offense (313.6 ypg.). An All-MIAC second-team honoree last season, Duerr has started SJU's last 23 games at left guard. Murphy has started the last 16 games, including all 11 at left tackle this fall. Jaeger, meanwhile, started the Johnnies' first five games this season at right tackle before moving to right guard. He served as the team's starting right tackle for the first six games of the 2021 season before he suffered a season-ending injury.

The Johnnies' defense led the MIAC, for the third consecutive season, in total defense (298.5 ypg.) and scoring defense (15.6 ppg.) in conference play. 

Faoliu led the Johnnies with 9.5 tackles for loss and tied for second in the league with 4.0 sacks in conference play. He finished third in total tackles (48) and collected four quarterback hurries. Faoliu currently leads SJU in tackles for loss (16) and quarterback hurries (7), and is second in tackles (69) and sacks (7). He has 32.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 from SJU's top-10 list, in 38 career games. 

Bjork led SJU once again in tackles (58) in MIAC play and boasts the team lead in assisted tackles (48) and total tackles (78) overall. He has 6.5 tackles for loss, including 1.5 sacks, and a forced fumble. Yaggie was second, behind Bjork, with 49 tackles, in conference games. He collected 3.5 tackles for loss, 2.0 sacks, two interceptions, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. Yaggie is currently third on the team in tackles with 65 (31 solo).

An All-MIAC second-team pick last season, Stark collected 24 tackles (16 solo), while Kohler totaled 20 (15 solo) in his first season at corner in league play. Both defensive backs recorded three interceptions and four pass breakups. Stark leads SJU with seven pass breakups and Kohler is second with four interceptions in all games.

All-MIAC honorable mention last fall as a freshman, Murphy went a perfect 44-for-44 in point-after attempts and made five of his six field-goal kicks in conference play in 2022. For the second straight season, Murphy led the MIAC in PAT's, as well as his 59 kicking points. He has made all but one of his 58 PAT's, is 6-for-7 in field goals and averages 54.8 yards per kickoff with 17 touchbacks this fall. Murphy's seven PAT's Nov. 19 against Northwestern enabled him to move into a tie with one of his kicking coaches, Jimmie Mattson '13, for sixth in program history with 120 career PAT's. He is also tied with Bob Nasby '72 for 10th in school history with 10 made field goals.
 
Ell led the MIAC in punting average (38.9) and punts inside the 20-yard line (12) to become the first Johnnie punter to earn All-MIAC honors since Charlie Carr '03 in 2001. Although he also punted, Russell Gliadon '10 received All-MIAC recognition as a kicker in 2008 and 2009. Ell is averaging 38.8 yards on 44 punts overall, including 16 that landed inside the 20.

VanErp led the Johnnies with 674 receiving yards, which was good for third in the MIAC, on 43 receptions in conference play. The 43 catches were second on the team and his five receiving touchdowns were third. He currently leads the team with 905 receiving yards, including 19 receptions of 20 yards or more, and is third in both catches (53) and touchdowns (7). VanErp has a receiving touchdown in each of his last four games and has 39 receptions for 629 yards (16.1 avg.) and six scores in the last six contests.

No. 4 SJU (10-1 overall) hosts No. 12 Wartburg (11-0) in the second round of the NCAA Division III Playoffs at noon Saturday, Nov. 26, in Clemens Stadium.