MIDDLETOWN, Ohio- The River States Conference unveiled the award winners for the 2024 men's soccer season Wednesday afternoon, ahead of the start of the conference tournament. The big winner was Brescia freshman Katai Mukuka, who claimed the Newcomer, Offensive Player, and Player of the Year awards. WVU Tech's Luka Felix won the Defensive Player of the Year award, while Oakland City Adam Sell was named Coach of the Year.

Katai Mukuka was considered the top player in the league by the RSC coaches, winning Newcomer, Offensive Player, and overall Player of the Year honors. The freshman from Zambia scored six goals in his first season with the Bearcats of Brescia. The freshman found his groove at the end of the season, scoring a goal in four of Brescia's final five matches, all of which came in River States Conference play. 

Luka Felix was the coaches' selection as the RSC Defensive Player of the Year. The junior from Portugal was one of the hardest goalkeepers in the conference to score on, posting a 1.06 goals against average across 15 matches. Felix stopped 39 shots on the season, turning away nearly 74 percent of the shots he faced, and helped WVU Tech to a third place finish and a 6-2 record in RSC play.

Adam Sell led his alma mater to a top-two finish in the conference, earning Coach of the Year honors. In his third season as the head coach of the Mighty Oaks, Oakland City finished with a 6-1-1 record in RSC play, and played for the regular season title on the final day of the regular season. The Mighty Oaks earned a first round bye in the conference tournament, and await the winner of WVU Tech and Midway.

The 2024 River States Conference Tournament is scheduled to begin today, with Shawnee State and WVU Tech hosting first round contests. Top seeded Rio Grande and second seeded Oakland City await in Saturday's semifinals, with the semifinal winners meeting next Wednesday to determine the conference's automatic berth into the NAIA Tournament.