NEW ORLEANS – After the most successful in the program's Division I history, the Central Arkansas Bears were well-rewarded by the Sun Belt Conference's coaches, with eight players earning All-Sun Belt honors. Senior Niklas Brodacki became the first player in UCA history to earn three Player of the Year honors, earning two in the Missouri Valley and now in the Sun Belt. Head coach Ross Duncan was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year for the first time, after receiving that honor twice in the last three years while in the Missouri Valley.
 
Brodacki, junior midfielder Soren Jensen and sophomore center back Alberto Suarez were all named All-Sun Belt Conference First Team while junior forward Kasper Andersen, redshirt sophomore central midfielder Mathias Bendiksen, senior defender Will Laufer, senior goalkeeper Marc Olsen and freshman defender Edoardo Calzola were all named All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team.
 
 
Brodacki, from Norrkoping, Sweden, leads the Bears with 11 goals. He also has three assists on the season, giving him 25 total points on the season. His impressive career goal scoring count currently sits at 50, making him UCA's all-time leading goal scorer, a record he eclipsed earlier this season.
 
"It's a fitting way for Niklas to cap off a wonderful career with another player of the year award. He's been a great player for us through his time here and he seems to really turn on during conference play," said head coach Ross Duncan.
 
Jensen, from Copenhagen, Denmark, is having his best season at UCA. The central midfielder has dominated from a playmaking standpoint, and has been a good goal scorer for the Bears as well. The junior currently leads the Bears and along with the entire Sun Belt Conference in assists with eight, and has also netted seven goals, giving him 22 total points on the year, a Sun Belt Conference third-best in that regard.
 
Suarez, from Zaragosa, Spain, rounds off the first team honors for the Bears. His five goals scored from his center back position makes him the Sun Belt Conference's leader in goals scored among all defenders, and he also leads the conference in points among all defenders with 11.
 
 
Andersen, from Randers, Denmark has established himself as a consistent offensive threat for the Bears in his third season in the purple and gray, ranking third on the team in points with 10. His four assists sit him in second in the entire Sun Belt Conference, only behind fellow teammate Jensen, who has eight.
 
After sitting out his first year at UCA, Bendiksen, from Finnsnes, Norway, established himself as the Bears' "No. 10," and has been outstanding from his attacking midfield position. He has a goal and two assists under his name and has started in 13 games this season and has racked up over 1100 minutes.
 
Laufer, from Lawrence, Kansas, stamped his name on an all-conference team for the first time in his UCA career. The senior has played over 1300 minutes this season from his outside back position and has an assist, that came back in October on a cross that found the head of Brodacki in the Bears' comeback victory over Sun Belt opponent Georgia Southern.
 
"For me, it is special to see a guy like Will Laufer honored.  He saved his best year as a college soccer player for his senior year and our team is really reaping the benefits," said Duncan.
 
Olsen, from Copenhagen, Denmark, earned second team All-Sun Belt honors after being named to the MVC Honorable Mention squad last season. A four year starter since arriving on campus in 2016, the senior finished with 39 saves and three total shutouts.
 
Calzola, from Perugia, Italy, is the lone freshman of the group to earn All-Sun Belt honors. After being sidelined at the beginning of the season due to recovery from a knee injury, the freshman went on to play 13 games and score two goals while adding three assists from his outsider back position, totaling seven points.
 
"While I'm immensely proud of the eight guys who were honored by our league coaches, I can't help but feel for the guys who missed out. We have built a team this year full of players worthy of these awards. But this is how these things go. We are honored to be recognized by the coaches in such a strong and competitive conference. We don't have much time to celebrate these achievements though, as we need to stay focused on extending our season." said Duncan.
 
After a program best ten victories, including 4-1 record in conference, Ross Duncan was named Sun Belt Conference Coach of the Year. Duncan, in his tenth season with the program and eighth as head coach, has turned this program around since taking over. He eclipsed 50 career victories earlier this season and will look to lead the Bears to a third straight NCAA Tournament appearance this weekend.
 
"Ross is our fearless leader. Everyone involved in our program wouldn't hesitate to go into battle with him. He is more than deserving of this award, but what he means to this program is invaluable. His constant pursuit of excellence and dedication is infectious. We are all incredibly grateful to have him as a Head Coach and ready to take on the next challenge with him," said assistant coach Matt Taphorn.