Wingate’s Alex Nelson Named NSCAA National Player of the Year

Kansas City, Mo.----National champion Wingate University's added another prestigious award to its historic season Wednesday afternoon when senior defender Alex Nelson (Newcastle, England) was named the National Player of the Year by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA). The consensus first team All-American is the first Bulldog to earn National Player of the Year honors. On Tuesday, the Wingate coaches were named the National Coaching Staff of the Year by the NSCAA.

"I couldn't be happier for Alex," head coach Gary Hamill says. "He has been a driving force in our defense for his entire career at Wingate. This award just finishes off what has been a spectacular career for him."

Nelson has piled up the hardware throughout his career, culminating with a historic senior season. The three-time first team All-SAC selection is also a three-time All-Region honoree for the three-time defending regular season SAC champion Bulldogs. Nelson earned first team All-American honors from the NSCAA and D2CCA in 2016. He was also named the Most Outstanding Defensive Player at the NCAA Final Four.

The defensive captain for the Bulldogs, Nelson anchored a Wingate defense that led the nation with an incredible 0.40 goals-against average. The only team in the country to allow less than 10 goals on the year, Wingate surrendered only eight goals in 20 matches, without allowing a goal in five NCAA Tournament contests. The Bulldogs did not allow a goal in the final 534 minutes of the season. The only team in NCAA men's soccer to go through the regular season undefeated, the Bulldogs finished the year 19-1 overall, leading the country in winning percentage.

Nelson started all 20 matches for the nation's stingiest defense, leading all field players with 1,752 minutes played. The Bulldogs allowed just six goals all season when Nelson was on the field. Wingate held the opposition to just 6.6 shots per game, piling up 12 shutouts on the season while never allowing an opponent to score multiple goals in a game. Nelson and the Bulldogs earned the first number one ranking in program history during October and never let go of that top ranking.

Nelson contributed to the Wingate offense as well in 2016, scoring four goals during his senior season. He scored twice in Wingate's 8-1 victory against Coker. He found the back of the net in a 6-1 win at Clayton State, while also netting a goal in the 2-1 victory against Carson-Newman. Nelson registered 18 shots during the year, with eight shots on goal.

Nelson and the Bulldog defense were at their best during Wingate's historic NCAA Tournament run, notching shutouts in all five contests, with four wins coming over top-15 opponents. The Bulldogs opened NCAA Tournament play with a 3-0 win over Limestone, shutting out the nation's seventh-ranked offense, limiting the Saints to just eight shots.

Nelson and the Wingate defense met a tough test in the regional title match, taking on defending champion Pfeiffer, who averaged over 4.5 goals per game, scoring 100 goals on the year while taking 24.27 shots per game, leading the nation in all three categories. Nelson and the Bulldogs blanked the Falcons, prevailing 1-0 while handing Pfeiffer its first shutout in two years. Wingate held the Falcons to 12 shots on the night, their second-lowest total of the season.

Wingate faced No. 14 Tampa in the national quarterfinals, winning 1-0 while holding the nation's 23rd-ranked scoring offense to just seven shots. The Bulldogs took on 10th-ranked UC San Diego in the NCAA national semifinals, limiting the Tritons to nine shots and just two shots on goal in the 2-0 victory.

The Bulldogs met the nation's second-ranked scoring offense in the national title match when facing off against fourth-ranked Charleston. The Golden Eagles entered the title match averaging 3.25 goals and 19.9 shots per game, but were shutout for just the second time all year, taking a season-low eight shots.

Nelson anchored a strong Wingate defense each of his last three years. The Bulldogs ranked second in the SAC with a 0.97 goals-against average in his sophomore season, while leading the league with a 0.79 goals-against average in Nelson junior season.

Nelson, along with the NSCAA National Players of the Years from the other divisions, will be honored at the NSCAA All-America Luncheon Jan. 14, 2017 at the Los Angeles Convention Center in conjunction with the 2017 NSCAA Convention.

NSCAA National Players of the Year

NCAA DI Men: Announced on Jan. 6 at MAC Hermann Trophy Banquet (finalists)

NCAA DI Women: Announced on Jan. 6 at MAC Hermann Trophy Banquet (finalists)

NCAA DII Men: Alex Nelson (Newcastle, England), Wingate University

NCAA DII Women: Sierra Shugarts (Federal Way, Wash.), Western Washington University

NCAA DIII Men: Jacob Bender (Baltimore, Md.), Messiah College

NCAA DIII Women: Lizzy Crist (Wayzata, Minn.), Washington University