Francisco DeAnda, senior forward from El Paso, Texas, helped lead the Mississippi College Choctaws to the NCCAA Mideast Region championship with three goals in their two victories. On Friday, he helped spark a comeback that saw the Choctaws trailing Campbellsville 3-1 with less than seven minutes remaining. His second goal of the match in the 84th minute cut the lead to 3-2 and the Choctaws would tie it up just over a minute later. DeAnda also converted a penalty kick in the shootout, which proved to be the deciding tally. In the championship match, he scored in the 77th minute to put the game away against Bluefield College. DeAnda now leads the team with 10 goals on the season as MC enters the national tournament as the #1 overall seed.
Men’s Soccer DI Offensive Nominees: Jared Putt, Spring Arbor University; Francisco DeAnda, Mississippi College; Adam Kay, Southwestern Christian University; Steven Fiema, Palm Beach Atlantic University