PROVIDENCE, R.I. - The American Athletic Conference announced the men’s soccer awards for the 2015 season, which were voted on by the league’s eight head coaches.
 
SMU sophomore Mauro Cichero was voted the American Offensive Player of the Year, while Tulsa senior Bradley Bourgeois was tabbed American Defensive Player of the Year. UConn’s Kwame Awuah and SMU’s John Lujano share American Midfielder of the Year honors, while Michael Nelson (SMU) was named American Goalkeeper of the Year. Tulsa freshman Juan Sebastian Sanchez was selected as the American Rookie of the Year to round out the major awards. The American all-conference and all-rookie teams were also announced. 
 
Cichero earned Offensive Player of the Year honors after scoring a team-high six goals and 15 points during conference play. The forward leads The American in several categories, including total points, points per game (1.88), goals and goals per game (0.75). Cichero was a unanimous choice for First Team All-Conference accolades. The sophomore helped lead SMU to the 2015 American regular season championship and a No. 7 ranking in the NSCAA national poll.


 
Bourgeois was awarded American Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year honors. The 2015 Senior CLASS Award candidate led a Tulsa backline that ranked third in the conference in shutouts and top four in goals allowed and goals against average in league play. The senior also earned the league’s preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor and was named to Top Drawer Soccer’s Division I Best XI list.


 
Awuah followed in the footsteps of former Husky Adria Beso Marco and was named The American’s Midfielder of the Year, giving UConn the honor for the third consecutive season. The junior recorded 11 points for the Huskies, five of those coming in conference play. He matched his season-high with two assists in UConn’s quarterfinals win over sixth-seeded Temple on Nov. 7.

 

Lujano, a senior, started every game for SMU this season and tallied five points for the Mustangs. He helped SMU to 13-2-3 overall mark this year. The Mustangs are on a 12 match unbeaten streak and haven’t lost a game since Sept. 13.

 

Nelson was selected as the American Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year for the second consecutive season. The redshirt sophomore started all eight conference games for SMU and logged 756:52 minutes in the net with 36 saves. He was named the American Goalkeeper of the Week twice times this season and led The American in save percentage (.857) and shutouts (4)  in league play.


 
Sanchez, a forward, was tabbed the conference Rookie of the Year. He has a team-best 15 points, leads the Hurricane with six goals and ranks eighth in the conference in the same category. Sanchez was a unanimous choice for the All-Rookie team and received Second Team All-Conference honors.


 
SMU head coach Kevin Hudson and his staff garnered Coaching Staff of the Year honors. The Mustangs earned their first-ever American regular season title this year and the top overall seed in the American Men’s Soccer Championship after posting 22 points and a 7-0-1 mark in league play.
 
UConn earned the Team Fair Play Award after totaling 85 points (70 fouls, three yellow cards and zero red cards) during conference play. The Fair Play Award is given to the team with the fewest accumulated fouls, yellow cards and red cards in league action (foul=one point; yellow card=five points; red card =10 points).