By Chris Duderstadt

Dec. 9, 2011

Coming into the 2011 season unranked and being over-shadowed by the Baker University women’s soccer teams’ NAIA Fab Four appearance, the men’s soccer team felt it had a lot to prove to its fan base.

The Wildcats did that and more as it won a conference championship and made a run of its own to the national semifinals this season.

BU finished the season with a record of 20-2-1 and received numerous honors both within the Heart of America Athletic Conference and the NAIA.

Sophomore Matt Bickley, junior Nate Byarlay, junior Odaine Sinclair and senior Tom Lowndes were named to the all-HAAC first team while Bickley earned the Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Nate Houser was recognized as the Co-Coach of the Year.

On the national level, Bickley and Byarlay were honored as NAIA all-Americans and Houser was also selected as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America Regional Coach of the Year.

The ‘Cats finished the year ranked No. 3 in the nation after falling to eventual national champion Lindsey Wilson University in the Fab Four.

Photo Credits: Baha Hamil, Gloria Atanmo and Pat Howell