Fort Lewis College men’s soccer freshman Alessio Andreottola did something that one other Rocky Mountain Athletic men’s soccer player has done, and that player was also a Skyhawk.
Although the FLC season didn’t end how the team wanted by missing the RMAC tournament, Andreottola was named RMAC Player of the Year and RMAC Freshman of the Year the conference announced on Thursday. Andreottola joins former Skyhawks Anton Hjalmarsson as the only other player in RMAC history to win both awards in the same year; Hjalmarsson won both in 2023.
Andreottola, a 5-foot-9-inch, 154-pound forward from Colmar, France, looked unstoppable at times on offense this season with his combination of speed, passing and finishing ability for FLC. He had multiple jaw-dropping plays of skill that made fans shake their head and wonder how he slipped through the cracks down to Division II.
The French freshman led Division II with 17 assists and was tied-second on FLC with six goals.
Fellow FLC French freshman forward Lorenz Guintini also made first team All-RMAC. Guintini was another primary creator for FLC, leading the team with 30 points (13 goals, four assists) and leading the team with 13 goals. Guintini looked like an upperclassman with his finishing ability, and FLC head coach David Oberholtzer will be delighted if both of his stellar French freshman decide to stick around for at least another season.
Senior defender Casey Stracher was the third Skyhawk to make first team all-conference. Stracher was an elite outside back for the Skyhawks, with great defensive instincts and speed. He was also useful making runs on offense, crossing the ball in and finishing when needed.
Redshirt senior midfielder Quinn Bosanko was the lone Skyhawk to make second team all-conference honors. FLC’s defense had plenty of struggles this season, but Bosanko was a calming and consistent presence as a connector and defender at the defensive midfield position. He also added a few offensive highlights.
Two other FLC newcomers were highlighted. Freshman midfielder Francisco Pinto and sophomore midfielder Raul Baptista Filipe were both honorable mention all-conference. Pinto, listed a 5-foot-8-inches and 130 pounds, was usually one of the smaller players on the field, but he had terrific touch on the ball this season and created plenty of chances for himself and his teammates.
bkelly@durangoherald.com
