BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The Carleton College men's soccer team which set program records through the 2023 season received its plaudits as the 2023 All-MIAC Awards were announced. Five players recognition, led by senior Justin Crawmer, who was voted the MIAC Men's Soccer Defender of the Year. Additionally, Bob Carlson was named the MIAC Men's Soccer Coach of the Year for fifth time overall and first since 2018.
 
Carlson has led the Knights to a 15-2-1 ledger and their highest ever national ranking—No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches top-25 poll—as the team has been nationally-ranked every week since mid-September. The 15 wins for Carleton are tied for the fourth-highest total in program annals and helped the Knights qualify for the NCAA Championships for the sixth time in team history. He was previously recognized by his peers in 2007, 2008, 2012, and 2018.
 
Crawmer missed most of the 2022 campaign due to a knee injury but returned in 2023 and was all over the pitch for a Knights team that leads NCAA Division III in goals against average (.278). He helped stabilize a backline that did not concede more than 1 goal in any game and only surrendered 5 goals in 18 games. Crawmer was also an attacking force for the Knights, as he tied for the team lead with 7 assists, contributing 3 goals as well, including the game-winner against regionally ranked Macalester College. He took home all-conference recognition for the third time overall (2019 honorable mention and 2021).
 
Crawmer was joined on the All-MIAC squad by senior midfielder Trevor Jones and sophomore forward Ben Pennell on the All-MIAC team. Additionally, senior goalkeeper Daniel Linder and sophomore midfielder Briggs Priem received All-MIAC honorable mention.
 
Jones joined Crawmer as one of the Knights' co-captains and made his presence felt for a squad team that dominated possession all season long, playing as the seal preventing any opponents to get near the Knights' backline. He repeated as an All-MIAC pick and currently owns 6 goals from midfield to go along with a pair of assists, including braces against both Northland and Simpson, and played the third-most minutes for the Knights.
 
Pennell led the Knights with 13 goals—to rank second among MIAC players so far this year—and finished tied for the team lead with 7 assists as well, tallying 4 game-winning goals for the Knights. He tallied at least 3 points in a game on five occasions for Carleton, including three times against MIAC opposition.
 
One of the best goalies in Division III soccer this season, Linder led MIAC goalkeepers by a wide margin in goals against average (.276), shutouts (10), and save percentage (.889). Those figures
and rank second, fifth, and seventh in the nation, making him 1 of only 2 goalies to rank in the top-10 of all three categories. Linder has given up only 4 goals in 15 appearances for Carleton this year.
 
Priem has played all over the midfield for the Knights, logging 1355 minutes, good for fourth-most on the team. He has 7 goals and 5 assists, which gives him 19 points to rank second on the squad. Priem's standout performance in the season came in the Knights' road win over Concordia-Moorhead as he scored twice and added a pair of assists.
 
Linder and centerback Alexander Grosse were both selected for the MIAC's All-Playoff Team as the Knights extended their own conference record with a 16th consecutive trip to the MIAC Playoffs.
 
The Knights received an at-large bid to the 2023 NCAA Championships where they will play Pacific Lutheran in the first round on Saturday, Nov. 11. That game will be held at nearby St. Olaf College.