Fridley Named HCAC Coach of the Year, Four Ravens Earn All-HCAC Honors

Anderson University men's soccer head coach Scott Fridley was named the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) Coach of the Year, which was announced by the conference on Tuesday.

Four Ravens earned all-HCAC honors. Sophomore Drew Vaughn (Beavercreek, Ohio / Beavercreek) garnered first-team all-HCAC honors. Freshmen Jordan Bossman (Gahanna, Ohio / Westerville North) and Usman Kamara (Indianapolis, Ind. / Franklin Central) each received second-team all-HCAC recognition. Freshman Dalton Grubbs (Carmel, Ind. / Carmel) received all-conference honorable mention.

During the Spring 2021 season, Anderson finished 10th in the conference standings for the first time in program history. Coach Fridley then helped bring in the largest recruiting class in program history as 20 freshmen joined the team on opening week, adding depth at each position. Anderson's starting lineup for the Fall 2021 season consisted of six freshmen. The Ravens were able to take third in the HCAC standings, ending the year with an 8-9-2 overall record and a 5-2-2 HCAC record.

"I am so thankful and blessed to receive this honor," Coach Scott Fridley said. "This honor only happens because of the sheer drive of the team to be better and want to succeed, and the quality coaching staff beside me.  Coach Derrick Spires, Jackson Schlemmer, Bobby Holden, and Micah Gerike, each provide an important piece of our braintrust and are the reason I am fortunate enough to win this award.  I want to especially thank the coaches in the HCAC for voting for me as there are so many great and talented coaches that deserve this as much or even more than I. I am so blessed and thank the Lord for continued guidance and understanding in a job that I am honored to have every day."

Vaughn led the Ravens with 55 intercepts on the season and shared the team lead with 26 steals on the season. He started all 19 matches on a defensive line that limited opponents to 1.44 goals per match during the conference season, which tied for fifth in the conference. The sophomore defender from Beavercreek, Ohio found the back of the net twice during the conference season. Vaughn contributed three goals and two assists for eight points during the regular season.

"Drew has proven to be one of the elite defenders in our conference and our region. I am so proud of his leadership and constant willingness to get better. More importantly he makes those around him better on and off the field.  His expectation for success makes us better.  As a young leader, he has proven to be a great teammate."

Bossman recorded three goals and an assist for seven points during the HCAC season. The Gahanna, Ohio native notched five goals and four assists for 14 points. Bossman tied for ninth in the HCAC with four assists. He also provided 10 steals and 11 intercepts.

"Through the recruiting process, we were very high on Jordan as I think he has those special pieces of his game to make him a threat every time he touches the ball. Many of the coach's we have played, have commented on his ability with the ball and his creativity. As a freshman, Jordan has proven that he can play and compete against anyone. He is a great teammate and always wants to improve and help those working with him to be better."

Kamara contributed one goal and four assists for six points during the conference season. He turned in two goals and four assists for eight points during the regular season. Kamara tied for ninth in the HCAC with four assists. He shared the team lead with 26 steals and produced 15 intercepts.

"Usman is a dominating presence on the field.  Every game he improved as he understood better how he works in our system. His work ethic is unmatched and spent the fall making those opposing him on the field difficult to defend him. The little things he does goes unnoticed but makes us better every day in training. I'm excited to see where his game elevates over his career."

Grubbs produced 33 intercepts and 17 steals. He started 17 matches on a defensive line that limited opponents to 1.44 goals per match during the conference season, which tied for fifth in the conference. Grubbs also tallied one goal and three assists for five points this HCAC season and was named the HCAC Offensive Player of the Week.

"I am very excited for Dalton, as I know he is a great defender, we had to move him into the middle early on and really did a nice job filling that role for us.  He became one of the top center backs in the HCAC and really worked hard to keep others out of the goal. Dalton's expectation of excellence is proven every day on this team and has the respect of all his teammates. 

"These four young men have really helped us reload and drive this team to success. None of us were happy where things were by the spring of 2021, but we see a great future ahead with these four and the addition of such a talented freshmen class ahead."