IRVINE, Calif. – With the RMAC Tournament on the upcoming docket, six Golden Eagles have been voted top players in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference this week after superb regular seasons.
Jake Cloutier was named RMAC Defender of the Year for the second straight time. Playing at a position that is sometimes hard to quantify with pure stats, Cloutier's leadership and consistency on the field helped CUI limit opponents to 9 or less goals on eight different occasions.
Freshman face off specialist
Dawson Loudermilk also emerged as a weapon for the Golden Eagles this semester. Along with long-time standout
Cade Poe, that duo helped Concordia win nearly 67 percent of the draws at the X. Loudermilk in particular excelled and won approximately 69 percent of his opportunities while also scoring five goals. A graduate from Tahoma High School hailing from Covington, Washington, Loudermilk scooped up 109 ground balls which led the team by a wide margin.
Cloutier and Lourdermilk were joined by
Matt Carresi and
Jack Lepore on the First Team All-RMAC selections. Carresi led Concordia with 31 assists and 61 points. His 30 goals were second most on the team. The Los Alamitos High School alum has racked up 76 career goals with the Green and Gold and net four game-winners this year as a senior.
Lepore came on strong the last month and found his footing after transferring from Nassau CC this year. An Islip, New York native, Lepore has rattled off five consecutive games with at least four or more goals - including a career-high six goals against No. 1 seed Westminster in a narrow 11-9 loss.
Jeremy Barnes was tabbed as a Second Team All-Conference pick along with junior newcomer
Jackson Crocker. For Barnes, this is his second straight year making an All-Conference squad after he led CUI with 40 goals this regular season. In addition, Drew Curran was named honorable mention after starting all 15 contests.
CUI head coach
Jesse Foss was also named RMAC Coach of the Year after the Golden Eagles rattled off four straight wins to finish the regular season.
Coach Foss specifically wanted to share the spotlight with his entire coaching staff that helps the team in so many ways on a daily basis.
"Being named Coach of the Year is a humbling honor, but this award truly belongs to our entire staff," said Foss. "They are the backbone of our program—bringing energy, preparation, and a genuine investment in our players that goes far beyond the field. The only thing I've done is surround myself with people better than me. This recognition is really a reflection of our staff whose collective commitment drives everything we do."
A big moment for the program came in their most recent game -
a 10-7 upset of No. 17 Colorado Mesa - which marked Concordia's first victory over the perennial conference champs in eight tries since joining the league as a NCAA DII member.
Fittingly, that breakthrough performance earned the Golden Eagles a second date with the Mavericks. CUI will face Colorado Mesa again on Friday in the RMAC semifinals hosted by Westminster out in Salt Lake City, Utah.
CLICK HERE for the RMAC Conference Tournament Page
CLICK HERE for the full CUI men's lacrosse schedule
