2016 All-Cascade Collegiate Conference Men's Soccer

The Evergreen State College sophomore defender Jordan Zimmerman (Olympia, Wash./Capital HS) and junior midfielder Issa Hassan (Beaverton, Ore./Westview HS) have earned All-Cascade Collegiate Conference men's soccer first team honors, and head coach John Purtteman was selected by his peers as the CCC Coach of the Year.

The all-conference teams and special honorees were announced at the pre-conference tournament banquet held Thursday night at Venue 252 in Eugene, Ore.

Other Evergreen players earning all-conference recognition are sophomore goalkeeper Ben Stevenson (Vancouver, Wash./Prairie HS), named to the second team, and senior defender Crisantos Chavez (Mabton, Wash./Mabton HS/Spokane Falls CC) and junior midfielder Kevin Elliott-McCrea (Portland, Ore./Trillium Charter School), both honorable mention selections.

Purtteman, in his 11th season as head coach at his alma mater, received the league's highest coaching award for the second time, the first coming in 2012.

Despite losing its top three goal scorers – Tanner Williams, Juan Lopez and Willie Spurr – from a year ago, in addition to an all-conference and honorable mention All-America defender Nate Boatright, Evergreen has been the surprise team of the conference under Purtteman's guidance. The 2016 Geoducks enter the eight-team CCC postseason tournament with a 9-1-4 overall record and the No. 3 seed in the championship event after finishing in a third-place tie during the conference season. Evergreen faces No. 6 seed Great Falls at 8 p.m. Friday at Willamalane Sports Complex in Springfield, Ore.

As a central defender, Zimmerman has marshalled the defense to a stingy 0.86 goals against average while giving up just 13 goals in 14 matches. In addition, he has contributed four goals and one assist to the Evergreen offense in 2016.

Once Purtteman moved Hassan from forward into a holding midfield role early in the season, the Geoducks found their stride. A skilled midfielder with a tireless work rate, Hassan has played a key role in Evergreen's ability to shut down opponents in the middle of the field. Hassan has one goal to his account this season.

Stevenson shared goalkeeping duties with Thomas Clark through a significant portion of the season – both of them were outstanding during that time – before rising into the role as full-time starter over the last several games. He compiled three shutouts and a miniscule 0.60 goals against average while starting seven conference matches. For the season, Stevenson has a 0.86 goals against average.

Both Chavez, a two-year starter at right outside back, and Elliott-McCrea, a three-year starter as a holding midfielder, were stellar in helping the Geoducks to one of the league's best defensive records. Chavez has one assist and Elliott-McCrea finished the regular season with three goals – including the match-winner in double overtime against Northwest Christian – and one assist.