CMS Men's Soccer Earns SCIAC Coaching Staff of Year Honor, Seven Stags Named All-SCIAC

CLAREMONT, Calif. - Head Coach Ryan Fahey and assistant coaches Trevor Swartz and Stefan Gonzalez were named the SCIAC Men's Soccer Coaching Staff of the Year, while seven members of the Stags earned All-SCIAC honors, the league office announced today.

Senior goalie Eduardo De Anda, senior defender Samay Rahim, senior midfielder Harper Rubin and junior forward Justin Blachman earned spots on the All-SCIAC first team. Joining them on the second team were junior defender Ben Pelz, junior midfielder Troy Lehenbauer, and first-year midfielder Rafael Otero.

Fahey, who played for the Stags from 2006-09 and graduated from Claremont McKenna in 2010, was in his first season coaching CMS and led his team to a 13-1-3 overall record and a 10-0-2 mark in SCIAC. It was the first time that the Stags have gone undefeated in the SCIAC since 1993, while the only loss came against Westmont of the NAIA (in overtime), marking the first time that CMS has ever gone undefeated in the regular season against NCAA Division III competition. 

De Anda currently ranks sixth in the nation with an 0.38 goals against average for the Stags, tallying eight shutouts and a 12-0-3 record this season. He has a career record of 21-1-4, with his only career defeat coming in the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2019. 

Rahim was a first-team All-SCIAC midfielder in 2019, and moved back to a center back this season, where he has quarterbacked a defense that hasn't allowed more than one goal in any game this year. CMS ranks third in the nation with an 0.39 team goals against average, and Rahim has also contributed two goals, including a tying goal in a comeback win over Occidental.

Rubin returned to the team this year after missing the 2019 season (and the 2020 season due to COVID) and had a huge impact, scoring six goals. He had two goals twice, including both goals in a 2-1 win over Redlands, after which he earned the SCIAC Offensive Player of the Week honor. 

Blachman also had six goals for the Stags this season, breaking through after hitting the woodwork several times as a first-year before finally getting his first goal in a SCIAC win over Whittier. Once he found the net, he kept them coming, scoring the tying goal in a 1-1 draw with Pomona-Pitzer and the go-ahead goal in the closing minutes of a 2-0 win at Whittier. 

Pelz has been a steady contributor at left back this season, having a key role on the CMS defensive unit that has allowed only six goals in 17 games, while also contributing two assists. Lehenbauer has also had a key role in the team's defense as a holding midfielder, and had the assist on the tying goal from Grant Donaldson with 2:06 left at Occidental, and then followed with his first career goal in a regular-season closing win over Chapman. Otero had a big impact in his rookie season with five goals, including the overtime golden goal in a 1-0 win over Pomona-Pitzer and the game-winner in the finale against Chapman. 

CMS will be in action for the SCIAC Tournament this week, beginning with a home game against Chapman on Wednesday night at 7 p.m. If the Stags win that one, they will earn the right to host the SCIAC Championship game on Saturday at 7 p.m.