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BAY CITY, Mich. — Saginaw Valley State University senior forward Zach Myers (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Eastern) was named the 2012 Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) men’s soccer “Offensive Player of the Year,” while Northwood University senior defender Luke Ruff (Bradford City, England/Delta College) was named “Defensive Player of the Year” in balloting conducted by the league’s coaches.

    Lake Erie College defender/midfielder Sam Nair (London, England/Nower Hill) was honored with the league’s “Freshman of the Year” award, while Cale Wassermann, who guided Saginaw Valley State to its second-straight GLIAC Championship, earned “Coach of the Year” accolades for the second consecutive season.

     Myers, a senior captain, started in all 18 matches this season for the SVSU men’s soccer program. He has scored a GLIAC-best 13 goals, and tallied two assists after switching positions from defense to forward this season. Myers scored two or more goals in five matches this season as the Cardinals set a new school record with 13 wins. He becomes the first men’s soccer player in GLIAC history to win both the “Offensive Player of the Year” and “Defensive Player of the Year” in their career.

    Ruff has been one of the top defenders in the GLIAC over his entire three-year career for the Timberwolves.  He has made 40 appearances in a Northwood uniform, earning the starting nod in every appearance.  Ruff earned All-GLIAC honors all three seasons of his career and was an All-Region honoree a year ago.  He also netted his first career goal this season off a set piece against Saginaw Valley State earlier this season.  Ruff is the first Northwood  player in program history to earn GLIAC “Defensive Player of the Year” honors.

     Nair immediately became one of the top offensive players in the GLIAC during his freshman season for the Timberwolves.  He currently leads the team and is tied for second in the GLIAC with 10 goals this season.  Nair also is third in the league in game winning goals.  He .71 goals per game is second in the conference and ranks in the t op-30 in all of NCAA Division II. Nair also ranks among the national leaders in points per game, total points and total goals.  Nair joins Keith Lough (2008) as the only two men in program history to earn GLIAC Freshman of the Year honors.

     Wassermann is in his third season as head coach of the men’s soccer program at Saginaw Valley State. In that time he has lead the Cardinals to an impressive 34-13-9 record and back-to-back GLIAC Championships. He also helped guide his alma mater to its first NCAA Division II Tournament appearance in 2011. In 2012, the nationally ranked Cardinals have set a new s chool standard with 13 wins, and shutout their final six GLIAC opponents to claim their second GLIAC Championship. Wassermann becomes just the fourth coach in GLIAC history to win the “Coach of the Year” honor in back-to-back years.

     The complete listing of the 2012 All-GLIAC men’s soccer teams and postseason awards are listed below: