CHICAGO (November 8. 2018) – RS-senior Grant Stoneman (St. Charles, Ill.) and junior Josh Lagudah (Canberra, Australia) of the Loyola University Chicago men's soccer team were named named 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Defensive and Goalkeeper of the Year respectively. The teammates were joined by four LUC student-athletes to receive All-MVC honors, announced this evening (Nov. 8) at the annual awards banquet in Evansville, Ind.
 

 
Stoneman and Lagudah were named to the All-MVC first team, while senior Tucker Stephenson (Overland Park, Kan.) and sophomore Giann Magno (Buxton, England) were each selected to the second team. Junior Aidan Megally and freshman Fabian Becerra were also called to the awards table as All-MVC honorable mentions.
 
Stoneman is the first Rambler to win MVC Defensive Player of the Year since Eric Schoendorf back in 2015. He also added his third First Team selection to etch his name as the only player to be named to the first team three times since the program joined the Valley in 2013. Stoneman is now one of four players to earn three First Team All-Conference selections in the Maroon and Gold.
 
Lagudah continued the trend of elite goalkeeping on Neil Jones coached teams. A Loyola keeper has now taken home the coveted award four of the last five years to lead the conference total since joining in 2013. The Canberra, Australia native finished his first year in Rogers Park with a conference-leading eight shutouts that's in a tie for 10^th nationally, and posted a sizzling .621 goals against average to check in at 10^th in the national ranks.
 
Stephenson found himself on the second team after his first full season with the Ramblers. The midfielder started in 15 matches this year and posted a team-leading 27 shots, while also logging a key assist in victories over Evansville (Oct. 20) and Northern Illinois (Oct. 23). Magno built off a productive 2017 season by becoming a fixture in the midfield by logging 90 or more minutes in nine of his last 10 matches. Loyola went 6-1-2 in the regular season when he was on the field from start to finish.
 
2018 marks the second straight season Megally has received All-MVC Honorable Mention recognition. The Park Ridge, Ill. native compiled three goals his junior campaign that all came in huge spots: The game-winner in a road win against SIUE (Sept. 15) and notched two more vs. Evansville (Oct. 20) in the Ramblers' convincing 3-0 win. Megally is joined by Fabian Becerra, whose impressive regular season saw him notch seven points (2g, 3a) to place him in a tie for 10^th in the MVC. The seven points thus far is the most by a freshman since Fabian Lifka's eight in 2015.
 
The No. 2 seeded Ramblers open the 2018 Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on Friday (Nov. 9) against Drake, who defeated Valparaiso, 2-1 in double-OT on Nov. 7 to advance to the semifinals. The match will begin at 3 p.m. The No. 2 seed has won the last two MVC Tournaments.

Click to read official MVC release.

2018 Awards & Honors Archive

• Grant Stoneman - Preseason First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference 
• Fabian Lifka - Preseason First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference 
• Josh Lagudah - Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Sept. 18)
• Grant Stoneman - College Soccer News National Team of the Week Selection (Oct. 15)
• Grant Stoneman - Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Week (Oct. 16)
• Josh Lagudah - Missouri Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year
• Josh Lagudah - First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference
• Grant Stoneman - Missouri Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year
• Grant Stoneman - First Team All-Missouri Valley Conference
• Tucker Stephenson - Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference
• Giann Magno - Second Team All-Missouri Valley Conference
• Aidan Megally - All-Missouri Valley Conference Honorable Mention
• Fabian Becerra - All-Missouri Valley Conference Honorable Mention
 
#OnwardLU