BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – Senior Shea Bechtel was named the Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (MIAC) Offensive Player of the year as seven members of the St. Olaf College men's soccer team were honored in the 2024 MIAC Men's Soccer Awards, as announced on Monday.

Bechtel became the third consecutive Ole to be selected as the MIAC Offensive Player of the Year in a vote by the conference's head coaches and claimed the accolade for the second time (2022, 2024). Fifth-year senior Clemente Arcuch Puig, sophomore Ryan Bechtel, and junior Aidan Hillis joined the elder Bechtel on the All-MIAC list, while juniors Ben Beckman and Caspar Olseth picked up Honorable Mention All-MIAC honors. Arcuch Puig, Shea Bechtel, and junior Robi Buzakovic represented St. Olaf on the MIAC All-Playoff Team as well.

Shea Bechtel landed MIAC Offensive Player of the Year honors after leading the conference in goals (9) and points (22) in conference play this season. The senior had either a goal or an assist in seven of the Oles' 10 MIAC contests while becoming the first student-athlete in recorded MIAC history to reach the 40-goal, 40-assist milestone for his career. The first two-time MIAC Offensive Player of the Year in the brief history of the award that started in 2021, Bechtel's selection gave St. Olaf three of the four honorees in the award's history after Victor Gaulmin '24 earned the award in 2023. Bechtel also collected his fourth consecutive All-MIAC accolade to become the second Ole (John Zietlow '11) and the 18th MIAC student-athlete to do so.

Arcuch Puig landed his first All-MIAC accolade after being an honorable-mention honoree as a junior in 2022. The fifth-year senior had one goal and six assists in 10 conference games this fall, with the six assists ranking third in the MIAC. He was also named to the All-Playoff Team after registering an assist in St. Olaf's semifinal win and a goal and an assist in the championship game.

Ryan Bechtel secured his first All-MIAC and All-Playoff Team accolades after a sophomore season that saw him collect 17 points on five goals and seven assists in 10 MIAC games. In MIAC contests, the sophomore led the conference in assists, was second to his brother in points, finished tied for sixth in goals, and tied for the conference lead with three game-winning goals. Bechtel scored in both of St. Olaf's MIAC Playoff games and added an assist in the semifinals.

Hillis was part of a back line that limited opponents to nine goals in 10 MIAC games this fall to give St. Olaf the second-stingiest defense in the conference. He played the most minutes (771) of any field player on the team in MIAC play and added one assist.

Beckman and Olseth were also key cogs in the St. Olaf defense and landed Honorable Mention All-MIAC honors for the first times. Olseth also recorded two goals and two assists, while Beckman chipped in with a goal and an assist in conference play.

Buzakovic was selected to the MIAC All-Playoff Team for the third season in a row and is the lone student-athlete in the conference to be named to the team in each of its three seasons of existence. After registering a goal and an assist in the semifinals, the junior scored the game-winning goal from the penalty spot in the 76th minute of Saturday's 3-2 victory at Gustavus Adolphus College in the championship game.

St. Olaf will host the first two rounds of the 2024 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship this weekend and will take on Wartburg College at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 16 in the first game of the weekend.