TOWSON, Md. – After earning its fifth consecutive trip to the Landmark Conference Championship, the Elizabethtown men's soccer team had four selections to the league's All-Conference team, announced by the organization Wednesday morning.
Senior
JD Haaf (forward) and sophomore
Edward Rainey (defense) led the four, earning first team honors, while senior
Connor Rathsam (midfield) and sophomore
Garrett Winchilla (forward) were both second team selections.
Receiving all-conference accolades for the first time in his career, Haaf set career highs in goals (12) and points (27). He ended the season second in both categories in the Landmark, while leading the conference in shots (80). Haaf also stepped his play up in league play, tallying a league-best seven goals and 11 points against Landmark opponents.
One year after earning Landmark Conference Second Team honors as a rookie, Rainey took the next step, collecting first team accolades. The sophomore guided the Blue Jays' back four to eight shut outs, which ended the year second in the league. Rainey also helped Elizabethtown to a season-long 402:10 of not allowing a goal over a six game stretch.
Rathsam, like his classmate Haaf, took advantage of his final season, recording career highs in goals (4), assists (2) and points (10). The senior was named Landmark Conference Offensive Athlete of the Week for the first time during his four years at Elizabethtown after scoring two goals in the Blue Jays' 3-1 win over Lebanon Valley. Rathsam joins his brother, Aaron, as a collection of brothers who have each earned All-Conference honors while wearing a men's soccer uniform.
Going scoreless through his first nine games of the 2019 season, Winchilla went on an offensive run over the final nine games of the season, tallying eight goals and 17 points. The sophomore recorded his first career hat trick against Lancaster Bible, followed by his second multi-goal game of the season, a brace against Moravian, two games later. His eight goals were second on the teams and tied for sixth in the Landmark.
The 2019 season was the fifth consecutive year that Elizabethtown tallied 10 or more wins. The Blue Jays return 25 players, including seven starters from Saturday's Landmark Championship game.