Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest Men's Soccer Announces 2020-21 Team Award Winners
6/30/2021 8:30:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The Demon Deacons announced their annual team awards with Kyle Holcomb, Nico Benalcazar and Hosei Kijima earning honors.
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Wake Forest men's soccer completed the 2020-21 season extending its streak being ranked in the United Soccer Coaches poll to 86-straight weeks in the top-25 and 66-straight weeks in the top-10. The Demon Deacons also clinched the South Region in the fall and were 4-1-1 against ranked opponents.
For the 2020-21 season, junior Kyle Holcomb was named the team's Most Valuable Player. He led the team in goals (nine) while being named a Third-Team All-ACC selection and was named to TopDrawerSoccer's Best XI Third Team.
Nico Benalcazar, the Walt Chyzowych's Award for Leadership and Character, was one of two Demon Deacons to start all 18 matches during the split season. Leading the defense, Wake Forest allowed less than one goal per match and tallied seven clean sheets.
Freshman Hosei Kijima, meanwhile, was named the team's Most Improved Player. After starting his collegiate debut in the fall against Louisville, Kijima heated up in the spring. His late-game heroics against Boston College with a brace in the final five minutes propelled Wake Forest to a 3-2 victory on March 6. Then against Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament, Kijima recorded his first two career assists.
Kyle Holcomb | Most Valuable Player
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Finished the season with a team-high nine goals including the Demon Deacons' final three goals in the 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.
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Now is one of just 19 players in program history with 20 career goals.
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Also led the team in total points with 20.
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Scored four game-winning goals on the season including a header in overtime against then-No. 3 North Carolina in October. The score gained the San Marcos, Calif., native ACC Co-Offensive Player of the Week honors.
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Appeared in 17 matches with 16 starts.
Nico Benalcazar | Walt Chyzowych's Award for Leadership and Character
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Named an All-ACC Second-Team selection and was on the TopDrawerSoccer Best XI Second-Team.
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Also was named an All-ACC Academic Team selection.
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Earned his first ACC Defensive Player of the Week (Nov. 2, 2020) honors during the fall portion of the split season.
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Was one of just two Demon Deacons to appear in and start all 18 matches during the 2020-21 season.
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Played a team-high 1,649 minutes and was on the field for every minute of the spring slate of games.
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Was the anchor of a backline that allowed just 0.94 goals against per match as the Demon Deacons logged seven clean sheets.
Hosei Kijima | Most Improved Player
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Appeared in 16 matches with seven starts.
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After starting the season opener against Louisville, 73 percent of his playing time came during the spring portion of the split campaign.
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In Wake Forest's 3-2 victory over Boston College on March 6, the Yokohama, Japan, native scored his first career goals in the 85th and 89th minutes.
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Played every minute in spring matches against NC State (March 13) and Louisville (March 27).
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Collected his first two career assists on Holcomb's goals against Kentucky in the Round of 16 of the 2020 NCAA Men's Soccer Championship.
