KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The Missouri Valley Conference announced its yearly honors Tuesday evening at its end of the year banquet, ahead of MVC tournament play. Among all teams, Western Michigan and Missouri State led the league with an MVC best seven All-Conference selections. Eight Broncos won at least one MVC honor this season.
Western Michigan graduate student forward Dylan Sing claimed both the league's Player of the Year and Forward of the Year honors. Sing, a first-time All-MVC first-team honoree became the first Bronco in program history to win the MVC Player of the Year and Forward of the Year Awards. Sing was a massive offensive threat for Western Michigan during the 2023 campaign, scoring an NCAA-best 14 goals in 17 matches. The graduate is tied for second nationally with six game-winning goals this season and has the highest shot accuracy in the NCAA with a mark of 0.714.
On the defensive third of the field, Jaylen Shannon claimed the Valley's Defensive Player of the Year award. Shannon, a graduate defender for the Brown and Gold has been a mainstay in the Broncos lineup, starting in all 17 matches this season. Shannon anchored a solid Western Michigan defense that ranked third in the NCAA this season with a 0.588 shutout percentage. During matches, the defender proved to be an intimidating force on the back line and led all Western Michigan players in minutes played this season (1,447). The graduate became the first player in Western Michigan history to win MVC Defensive Player of the Year honors.
Additionally, WMU graduate goalkeeper Ethan Brandt was awarded the Goalkeeper of the Year honor. Brandt followed suit by becoming the first Bronco student-athlete to earn the MVC Goalkeeper of the Year award. This season, the goalie from Torrance, California, logged the fifth-most saves per game (3.06) and collected the best save percentage (.800) in the league. Brandt also ranked second in goals against average this season (.777).
This year, the goalkeeper Brandt, defenders Jaylen Shannon and Jonathan Robinson, and forwards Dylan Sing and Charlie Sharp represented the Brown and Gold on the All-MVC First-Team. For the defender Robinson, he tied Carson Hodgson for 9th in the NCAA with 11 assists on the season. (The two set a new program record for the most assists set by teammates in a single season). During the year, Robinson was one of the key leaders in WMU's backline as a vocal leader. As for Sharp, he concluded the year tied for 15th in the NCAA in goals scored with 11 and was tied for 8th with 29 total points on the year. This year when Sharp tied his record of 11 goals scored in a single season, he became the first player in program history to record 11 goals in two different seasons.
For the All-MVC Second-Team, defender Will Perkins and midfielder Carson Hodgson represented WMU. Perkins notched one goal and six assists this season, while Hodgson tallied eight goals and 10 assists for the Brown and Gold. Hodgson tied his teammate Robinson for 9th in the NCAA with 11 assists on the season. (The two set a new program record for the most assists set by teammates in a single season). Hodgson also scored six goals on the year, and was tied for 48th in total points in the NCAA with 21.
Additionally, forward Noah James was selected to the All-MVC Freshman Team. James started in 15 of 17 matches and had one goal (a game-winner) and two assists on the season.
To round out the Brown and Gold's conference honors this season, Western Michigan's coaching staff earned the MVC's Coaching Staff of the Year honor. Head coach Chad Wiseman, in his 11th season at the helm, led the Broncos to a 13-1-3 mark this season, including a 7-0-1 league record enroute to the program's first MVC regular season title. Wiseman is assisted by Shane Lyons, Mike Haines, and Garrett Loehr. As a team, the Broncos enter the MVC tournament riding a program-record 16-match unbeaten streak.
