Men's Soccer Rakes in All-Summit Awards
4/21/2021 12:00:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Head Coach Ryan Pore was named Coach of the Year, while Cooper Clark was tabbed Goalkeeper of the Year among other honors
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. - Following a year of vast improvement, Kansas City Men's Soccer has brought home a multitude of All-Summit League awards, highlighted by Head Coach Ryan Pore being named Coach of the Year and junior Cooper Clark being named Goalkeeper of the Year.
"I'm happy that everyone is receiving this recognition, but ultimately we believe that it's correlated to our team success towards the end of the year," Pore said. "Each one of these players bought into the Roos culture we are building in Kansas City and I'm proud that they are representing our program. We look forward to their future success and continuing their development to be the best team in the Summit League."
Pore led the Roos to steady improvement throughout his first year in Kansas City. The team picked up its pace towards the end of the season, earning winning decisions in three of its last four conference games. The year marked Pore's first as a collegiate head coach, following a seven-year professional career and seven years on staff at the University of Tulsa.
"I am extremely excited at the direction that our men's soccer program is headed under the direction of Coach Pore," Director of Athletics Brandon Martin said. "His winning of Summit League Coach of the Year is a testament to his, and the team's pursuit of Comprehensive Excellence."
Clark came to Kansas City after spending the first two years of his career with Pore in Tulsa. He immediately stepped into the starting role and thrived, averaging 3.7 saves per game with a .696 save percentage. He also earned Summit League Defensive Player of the Week on Mar. 29 following a seven-save performance against Omaha. In addition, Clark was one of two goalkeepers named to the All-Summit First Team and the only goalie named on the All-Newcomer team.
"Cooper is fully deserving of this award," Pore said. "He was consistently a top performer in goal and kept us in a lot of close games. I'm happy he's getting this recognition and I'm excited for his future."
Kansas City was also honored on the All-Summit Second team, with Ryan Khedoo, Kevin Komodi, Jony Munoz and Gustavo Leal Murtha earning all-league honors.
Khedoo was a catalyst of the Roos' offense, tabbing a league-leading five assists on the year. He made starts in 11 of 14 appearances, posting shot attempts in all but two games and scoring against Western Illinois on April 1.
"Ryan really improved his defensive intensity throughout the season, which helped fuel our offensive transition," Pore said.
Komodi consistently produced for the Roos, taking a team-leading 31 shot attempts on the year. He was a starter in 10 contests, scoring a goal against Eastern Illinois on Mar. 4 and dishing three assists on the year.
"We believe Kevin's best soccer is still ahead of him," Pore said. "He's made efforts and sacrifices to play within our system and we look forward to continuing his development."
Muñoz made waves in his first season as a Roo, scoring a team-leading six goals on the year and adding three assists for 15 total points. A starter in 12 contests, Muñoz played 90-plus minutes on five occasions.
"Jony had a great first season with us after arriving in January," Pore said. "He established himself within the group quickly through his hard work and dedication. He's a great example of what Kansas City soccer represents."
Leal Murtha was a force in KC's backline in his first year since transferring from Marshalltown Community College. He made 12 starts on the year, notching an assist in the Roos' 3-1 win over Omaha on Feb. 22. He logged 90-plus minutes in eight games.
"Gustavo was a rock for us all season," Pore said. "He's very mature in his approach to the game and we leaned on him through many critical moments throughout the season."
Clark, Leal Murtha and Muñoz were also named to the All-Newcomer team, where they were joined by freshman forward Hugo Gutierrez Martínez.
Gutiérrez Martínez was the Roos' second-leading goal scorer on the year, logging four goals in 14 appearances. He was efficient with a .533 shot on goal percentage, scoring two game-winners on the year.
"Hugo is another player that joined in January and got better as the season progressed and he got more acclimated with our team and system," Pore said. "We're excited about his future in Kansas City."
In their first season in return to the Summit League, the Roos logged a winning record in-conference and finished in fourth place. Pore and crew will look to improve upon that finish as they return to play in the upcoming fall season.
