Marion, IN — As if winning its first Mid-Central Conference Co-Championship in 15 years wasn’t enough, the 2005 Goshen College men’s soccer team was furthered honored by the league Wednesday.

Conference officials announced junior Joel Miller as the 2005 MCC Defensive Player of the Year, complementing senior James Graber (First Team All-MCC defender), sophomore Tony Janzen (Second Team All-MCC forward) and junior Craig Welscott (Second Team All-MCC goalkeeper). The foursome of honored players was capped off with head coach Tavi Mounsithiraj being named the MCC’s Coach of the Year, the first such award for the Leafs’ fifth-year program leader.

“This has been a great year for us as an entire program, and it is nice to be recognized,” Mounsithiraj said. “To be MCC Co-Champions and to only have lost one match all season was pretty incredible. I’m proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish.”

Those accomplishments have been numerous for Mounsithiraj, who took over as the program’s eighth head coach on an interim basis at the start of the 2001 season. After winning just three games in his initial year at the helm, Mounsithiraj guided his teams to progressively better marks, finishing 8-9-2 in 2002, 9-8-2 in 2003, 14-4-4 in 2004 and 14-1-3 in 2005, winning a share of the MCC title behind a 6-1-1 league mark. The co-championship was the program’s first since the 1990 season and 18th overall, while Goshen’s 14 wins in each of the last two seasons were the most since the 1998 (16-4) campaign.

“Our goal was to do well in the conference this year, if not win it,” Mounsithiraj said. “To (be named Coach of the Year) is nice, but I’ve got great players and assistant coaches that made it possible. The coaches have organized our efforts and the players have tried to do everything we’ve asked. That’s what made all of this so enjoyable.”

On the top of that list is Miller, voted the league’s best defender for two years running. Miller helped Goshen to nine shut outs in each of the past two seasons, also stepping up on offense when needed: Miller scored six goals for the Leafs this season, the third highest total on the squad.

“Joel has performed well all season long, and I really thought he had a shot at league MVP,” Mounsithiraj said. “I thought we had a good enough record, and Joel does absolutely everything. He’s such a presence in the back that people sometimes forget what else he does, which is a lot. He is hugely important to all that we do.”

Graber flanked Miller in the backfield in each of the past two seasons — the Goshen native transferred in from Manchester College prior to the 2004 campaign — and made an immediate impact. In addition to scoring twice this season while tallying a single assist, Graber was a key element to the Leafs’ potent defensive scheme. A 2004 All-Region VIII player and honorable mention NAIA All-American, Wednesday’s first team all-conference award was Graber’s second honor.

“James is probably our most consistent performer,” Mounsithiraj said. “He showed up to play hard each and every day he stepped on the field. We are definitely going to miss his presence next season.”

Returning for one final year will be Welscott, who has been a staple for Mounsithiraj’s squad in goal for the past three seasons. Welscott has recorded nine shutouts in goal for the Leafs in each of the past two seasons — the most of any teams under Mounsithiraj — and finished the 2005 campaign with a .666 goals per game average (.700 in conference play), tops in the league. For of Goshen’s nine shutouts came in MCC competition, with Welscott recording a pair of no-no’s in this year’s MCC Tournament.

“Craig has worked very hard to get better and anchor our defense,” Mounsithiraj said. “It is nice for him to be rewarded by our fellow coaches.”

Perhaps the surprise of the year came in the form of Janzen, a midfielder-turned-forward that put up astonishing numbers offensively. Janzen finished the season with a team-leading 14 goals and three assists, totaling a team-high 31 points in a very workman-like manner.

“Tony never quits,” Mounsithiraj said. “That’s what makes him so much fun to watch and coach. He thinks he can get to every ball, and usually he does. He was a big part of what we tried to do up front this year.”

With Goshen losing just Graber and classmate Nick Loewen to graduation, a strong nucleus will return in 2006. For Mounsithiraj, that season has already begun.

“I told the guys that we’ve got 281 days until we report to training camp next August, and our preparation begins now,” he said. “The program is headed in the right direction, but we still want to do more. We aren’t satisfied.”

Bethel College’s Hugo Gonzalez was named the MCC Player of the Year. Indiana Wesleyan University’s Troy Mellanson was named MCC Offensive Player of the Year. For a complete list of All-MCC award winners, click here.