(Arlington, Texas – Nov. 3, 2023) The Western Athletic Conference (WAC) announced its 2023 Postseason Men's Soccer Awards on Friday, with three Trailblazers earning recognition in a poll voted on by the conference's nine head coaches. AJ Ciampini was announced as an All-WAC Second Team selection while Austin Wallace and Sami Cuevas earned spots on the All-Freshman Team.
 
"We're very happy fort AJ, Sami and Austin - all three are very deserving of these awards and they represent the improvement our program showed this year," Head Coach Jonny Broadhead said. "I'm sure those three recognize that and see these as team awards. Everyone in the program needs to know they were a large part in those three being voted for."
 
Ciampini started all 16 of the team's games this season, playing 1,120 minutes on the Trailblazer back line and leading the team with three assists. He also scored his lone goal of the season against Air Force on Oct. 15, finishing with two total shots and adding an assist on the game-winner in the 84th minute.
 
The Riverdale, Utah, native helped a Utah Tech defense that conceded 12 fewer goals in 2023 than in 2022 while improving the team's goals against average by 0.5 per game. Named WAC Defender of the Week on Aug. 29, Friday's announcement marks the first postseason recognition in his career.
 
Originally from Lehi, Utah, Austin Wallace made an instant impact during his freshman year, scoring twice in his collegiate debut against Lindenwood on Sept. 10 to fuel a 3-0 road victory. He struck again just two games later against Gonzaga on Sept. 17 and added his second game-winning goal of the season in the 86^th minute of a 2-1 victory over Utah Valley. His four goals led Utah Tech as he played 749 minutes across 13 appearances (10 starts).
 
The team-leader in shots on goal this season, Sami Cuevas finished his freshman season with three goals across his 11 appearances, which included seven starts. The Valera, Venezuela, native scored all three of his goals in consecutive games, culminating in back-to-back game-winners against UTRGV (Oct. 1 – W, 1-0) and Utah Valley (Oct. 5 – W, 2-1). Those two game-winning goals tied for the team's leading mark while his six total points was second-highest.
 
Trailblazer men's soccer returns to action on Sunday, facing sixth-seeded San Jose State in the quarterfinal round of the 2023 WAC Men's Soccer Tournament.