AUGUSTA, GA -- The Peach Belt Conference has released the 2024 men's soccer All-Conference team. Clayton State's Alex Rodriguez was named the Offensive Player of the Year while Flagler's Max Gottwald the Defensive Player of the Year. North Georgia's Jorge Sandoval was tabbed the Freshman of the Year with Clayton State's Pete Petersen the Coach of the Year.
Rodriguez led the Peach Belt with eight goals in 2024 and was second in the conference in assists. The sophomore forward from Valladolid, Spain, also led the conference with 1.38 points per game and with four game-winning goals. Named the PBC Player of the Week twice during the season, he scored in five straight games in October with one multi-goal game. Rodriguez keeps the PBC Offensive Player of the Year award at Clayton State for a fourth straight season after Geo Rios won the previous three; he is the seventh different Laker to claim the honor.
Max Gottwald led second-best scoring defense in the Peach Belt Conference in 2024. A junior back from Harsewinkel, Germany, he played in 16 games with 15 starts and was tied for the second-most amount of minutes on the squad. Flagler led the conference with eight shutouts this season and held opponents to one or fewer goals 10 times. He also contributed on offense, scoring three goals on the year, including the game-winner in a 1-0 win over USC Aiken. Gottwald is the third straight Saint to be named the Defensive Player of the Year in the three-year history of the award, joining Tirso Trueba and Jackson Kirila.
Jorge Sandoval started in 14 games and played in 16 in his first year of NCAA soccer. The freshman forward from Gainesville, Ga., scored three goals with five assists this season. He led the team and is ranked ninth in the PBC in points per game and his five assists is tied for third in the conference. He scored one of the most dramatic goals of the season with a game-winner with under a minute to play in a 2-1 win over Flagler. Sandoval becomes the second Nighthawk to ever be named the Freshman of the Year, joining teammate Aram Lara who won last year.
Pete Petersen guided Clayton State to their second consecutive PBC regular-season championship in 2024, his sixth in 21 seasons as the helm of the Lakers. Clayton State is the top seed and host of this weekend's PBC Tournament as Petersen will attempt to win his fourth tournament title, including last season. Ranked #21 in the nation and #3 in NCAA Super Region 2, Petersen's team leads the PBC ans is ranked #23 in NCAA Division II in team defense with a 0.94 team goals allowed average. The Coach of the Year honor is seventh overall and third in a row.
The All-Conference team is below, as selected by the league's head coaches. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
2024 PBC Men's Soccer
All-Conference Team
First Team
Forwards
Fallah Johnson, Clayton State
Alex Rodriguez, Clayton State
Jorge Sandoval, North Georgia
Finn Weigelt, Flagler
Midfielders
Alexis Iturria, Clayton State
Aram Lara, North Georgia
Vic Delgado Miller, Clayton State
Reiss Skeen, Flagler
Defenders
Max Gottwald, Flagler
Jackson Kirila, Flagler
Othmane Chagour, Clayton State
Goalkeeper
Mauricio Uribe, Clayton State
Second Team
Forwards
Christian Hatley, Lander
Alexander Lozano, Georgia Southwestern
Maxwell Mitchell, North Georgia
Jose Rabadan, USC Aiken
Midfielders
Alex Alexandrou, Flagler
Toby McCallum, Flagler
Andres Melendez, Georgia Southwestern
Rafael Oliveira Pais, North Georgia
Defenders
Vukašin Lukovic, North Georgia
Damean Dominguez, Georgia Southwestern
Fasaikou Jammeh, USC Aiken
Goalkeeper
Felipe Mattos, USC Aiken
Select Sport Gold Ball Award (most goals in all games)
Alex Rodriguez, Clayton State
Elite 18 Award presented by Barnes & Noble College
Michele Zucchi, Lander
Offensive Player of the Year presented by College Ave
Alex Rodriguez, Clayton State
Defensive Player of the Year presented by College Ave
Max Gottwald, Flagler
Freshman of the Year presented by College Ave
Jorge Sandoval, North Georgia
Coach of the Year presented by College Ave
Pete Petersen, Clayton State