Niswonger and Gordon Earn All-Great Lakes Region Honors
By: Sean Neidig, sports information graduate assistant
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Both senior goalkeeper Justin Niswonger and junior forward Chewy Gordon have been named to the 2017 United Soccer Coaches NCAA Division III Men's All-Great Lakes Region Third Team, as voted by the United Soccer Coaches.
Niswonger (Centerville, Ohio/Centerville) started 22 matches for the Crusaders in 2017 en route to the Ohio Athletic Conference Goalkeeper of the Year award. In those 22 matches, all starts, Niswonger allowed only 24 goals and made 79 saves, the third-most saves in the OAC. Opponents failed to get on the scoreboard seven times against Niswonger, including in the first round of the OAC Tournament against Heidelberg on Oct. 31. Eight other times, Niswonger allowed only one goal.
Gordon (Westerville, Ohio/Westerville Central) led the team offensively with 26 points and was named to the All-OAC First Team. Gordon scored 12 of the team's 35 goals and netted twice as many as the second-highest goal scorer on the squad. The 12 goals tied Gordon for third in the conference. Five of Gordon's goals clinched victory for the Crusaders. Gordon scored twice in the first round of the OAC Tournament and in Capital's first-ever NCAA Tournament win over Dominican University (Ill.) on Nov. 11, Gordon scored the opening goal that gave Capital the lead.
The Crusaders finished the season with a 13-8-2 overall record and went 5-3-1 in the OAC. The team made the NCAA Tournament for only the second time in program history and first since 2009. The 2-1 overtime win over Dominican was the first NCAA Tournament win in school history.
The full All-Great Lakes Region Teams can be found here.