THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — Tyler Sherard was named the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) Defensive Player of the Year, a first in program history, and was joined on First Team by JP Melgoza and Chris Pelaez. Erick Mejia earned Second Team honors as the quartet represented Cal Lutheran men's soccer on the all-conference team.

It was another first as Sherard was named Defensive Player of the Year. Since the SCIAC changed from just one Player of the Year to an Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, Cal Lutheran had yet to garner either. That is in the past as Sherard has etched his name in Kingsmen lore. 

Sherard (Chula Vista, Calif.) earned his first All-SCIAC honor, and on top of Defensive Player of the Year, was named to the First Team. The senior led the Kingsmen back line in allowing a league-low eight goals over 10 games while scoring three himself as an imposing presence in the box on corner kicks. He scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over the University of La Verne and kept the Kingsmen in the mix to receive votes in the d3soccer.com Top 25 throughout the middle portion of the season.

Melgoza (Oxnard, Calif.) earned his first career SCIAC honor and landed on First Team. The sophomore is a force to be reckoned with in the midfield. In the eight conference games he played in, Melgoza scored two goals and added one assist. He kept opposing goalkeepers busy with 22 shots. 

Pelaez (Arleta, Calif.) garnered his second All-SCIAC honor. He is First Team this year and was Second Team last year. The senior played in all 10 conference matches and started seven of them. He scored two goals and added two assists for a total of six points. One of his goals was a game-winning goal and he added a total of 14 shots.

Mejia (Agua Dulce, Calif.) earned his second All-SCIAC award. He was named to the Second Team this year and has also been First Team. The senior combined with Sherard to lead the defense against their SCIAC opponents. On top of the league low eight goals in the 10 games, the Kingsmen shutout four opponents. 

The Kingsmen are back on the pitch tonight. Cal Lutheran host Redlands in the first round of the SCIAC Tournament. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.

SCIAC Release: All-Conference 
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