ALISO VIEJO, Calif. - Cal State LA’s
Emil Kischka earned CCAA Player of the Year and Defender of the Year honors, highlighting the CCAA Men’s Soccer all-conference selections and individual awards for the 2026 season.
The Golden Eagles collected two more individual awards, with
Abraham Ramirez selected as Goalkeeper of the Year and
Michael Erush named CCAA Coach of the Year. Cal State San Marcos’
Cisco Avila earned Forward of the Year honors, while Cal State Monterey Bay’s
Mason Ward was selected as Midfielder of the Year. Fresno Pacific collected two awards in its first CCAA season, with
Zion Vaughn named Newcomer of the Year and
Preston Larger earning Freshman of the Year.
Emil Kischka anchored a Cal State LA defense that led NCAA Division II in goals-against average (.294) and shutout percentage (.706). The senior from Braunschweig, Germany, started all 17 matches and played a team-leading 1,483 field minutes as the Golden Eagles allowed just five goals and completed an unbeaten regular season (15-0-2). Kischka also contributed three goals and three assists, including two game-winning goals. One of those winners came on a penalty kick with just 46 seconds remaining in a 1-0 victory at Chico State, a performance that helped earn him his second CCAA Defensive Player of the Week award of the season. He is Cal State LA’s first overall CCAA Player of the Year since
Oliver Diaz in 2023 and its first Defender of the Year since
Andrew Portis in 2024.
Cisco Avila led the CCAA with 12 goals and tied for the conference lead with 25 points. The senior from Henderson, Nev., ranked 15th in NCAA Division II in total goals and tied for 23rd in points. Avila accounted for 30 percent of Cal State San Marcos’ 40 goals and helped the Cougars rank second in the conference and 21st nationally in scoring offense at 2.22 goals per match. He recorded two-goal performances against Vanguard and Cal State Dominguez Hills, finished with three game-winning goals and converted all three of his penalty-kick attempts. Avila is the first Cougar to earn CCAA Men’s Soccer Forward of the Year honors.
Mason Ward returned to a leading role in the Cal State Monterey Bay attack, recording seven goals and three assists (17 points) after appearing in just two matches last season. The fifth-year player from Temecula helped lead a potent Otters' offense that led the CCAA in goals (41), assists (39) and points (121). Cal State Monterey Bay ranked 14th nationally in points per match (6.72) and 19th in scoring offense (2.28). Three of his goals were game-winners, including one in a win on the road at No. 9 Cal State San Bernardino. Ward earned CCAA Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring three goals and adding an assist in wins over Jessup and Cal State East Bay, including a two-goal performance as the Otters matched their single-match scoring record in a 7-1 victory over the Pioneers. He is the first Otter to earn CCAA Midfielder of the Year honors.
Abraham Ramirez led the CCAA in goals-against average (.294), save percentage (.889) and shutouts (12), while playing all 1,530 minutes in goal for No. 1 ranked and unbeaten Cal State LA. The junior from Anaheim led NCAA Division II in goals-against average, tied for the national lead in shutouts and ranked second in save percentage. Ramirez recorded 40 saves and allowed no more than one goal in any match as the Golden Eagles finished the regular season 15-0-2. He opened the year with seven consecutive shutouts, including a 10-save performance in a 1-0 victory over Regis. Ramirez is Cal State LA’s first CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year since
Alvaro Unanua won consecutive awards in 2021 and 2022.
Zion Vaughn helped introduce Fresno Pacific to the CCAA with 10 goals and 22 points. The junior from Chandler, Ariz., tied for third in the conference in goals and ranked third in points. Vaughn scored nearly a third of the Sunbirds’ 32 goals and supplied the game-winner in half their victories. He opened the season with consecutive two-goal performances against Cal Poly Humboldt and Menlo, scoring the game-winner in both matches to earn CCAA Offensive Player of the Week and D2CIDA National Player of the Week honors.
Preston Larger made an immediate contribution to Fresno Pacific’s midfield, scoring four goals and posting nine points. The freshman from Kingsburg tied for second on the team in goals and tied for third in points, helping the Sunbirds average 1.88 goals and 1.88 assists per match. Fresno Pacific ranked 29th nationally in assists per match and 41st in points per match (5.65). Larger provided one of the Sunbirds’ most memorable finishes of the season in their CCAA opener, scoring on an 88th-minute bicycle kick against Cal State San Marcos. Vaughn and Larger are Fresno Pacific’s first CCAA men’s soccer individual award recipients.
Michael Erush guided Cal State LA to the CCAA regular-season championship with a 10-0-2 conference record and a 15-0-2 overall mark. The Golden Eagles led NCAA Division II in winning percentage (.941), goals-against average (.294) and shutout percentage (.706). Cal State LA outscored its opponents 31-5, with its plus-26 goal differential leading the conference and ranking ninth nationally. Erush’s team opened the season with seven consecutive shutouts and never allowed more than one goal in a match. He is the first Cal State LA coach selected by his peers as CCAA Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year since
Chris Chamides in 2021.
Cal State San Bernardino led the conference with five first- or second-team selections. Defender
Damian Gonzalez earned first-team honors, while defender
Ty Kerns, midfielder
Alix Soukup and forward
Rafa Fonseca were selected to the second team.
Cal State Monterey Bay placed four student-athletes on the first or second team. Ward was joined by second-team selections
Griffin Welch in goal,
Damon Smith on defense and
Sylas Sells in the midfield.
Cal State LA and Cal State San Marcos each had three first-team selections. Forward
Jose Mariscal joined Kischka and Ramirez for the Golden Eagles, while defender
Blake Haseyama joined Avila on the Cougars’ first-team contingent. CSUSM midfielder
Jacob Arellano earned second-team recognition.
Cal Poly Pomona and Menlo each had two first- or second-team selections. The Broncos were represented by first-team forward
Marvin Gamez and second-team defender
Víctor Casillas. Menlo placed midfielder
Hugo Few on the first team and forward
Tim Schwarz on the second team.
Cal Poly Humboldt midfielder
Izaiah Grosveld and Stanislaus State midfielder
Adrian Yepez completed the first team. Cal State Dominguez Hills midfielder
Juan Calderon joined Vaughn on the second team.
Gamez repeated as a first-team selection, while Gonzalez moved up from the second team. Haseyama and Yepez earned first-team recognition after previously receiving honorable mention honors.
| 2026 CCAA Men’s Soccer Individual Awards |
| Player of the Year: Emil Kischka, Cal State LA |
| Forward of the Year: Cisco Avila, Cal State San Marcos |
| Midfielder of the Year: Mason Ward, Cal State Monterey Bay |
| Defender of the Year: Emil Kischka, Cal State LA |
| Goalkeeper of the Year: Abraham Ramirez, Cal State LA |
| Newcomer of the Year: Zion Vaughn, Fresno Pacific |
| Freshman of the Year: Preston Larger, Fresno Pacific |
| Coach of the Year: Michael Erush, Cal State LA |
| All-CCAA First Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Abraham Ramirez |
Jr. |
GK |
Cal State LA |
Anaheim |
| Damian Gonzalez-# |
Jr. |
D |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Whittier |
| Blake Haseyama-^ |
Jr. |
D |
Cal State San Marcos |
Encinitas |
| Emil Kischka |
Sr. |
D |
Cal State LA |
Braunschweig, Germany |
| Hugo Few |
Jr. |
MF |
Menlo |
Cobham, England |
| Izaiah Grosveld |
So. |
MF |
Cal Poly Humboldt |
Arcata |
| Mason Ward |
5th |
MF |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
Temecula |
| Adrian Yepez-^ |
Jr. |
MF |
Stanislaus State |
Salida |
| Cisco Avila |
Sr. |
F |
Cal State San Marcos |
Henderson, Nev. |
| Marvin Gamez-* |
Sr. |
F |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Bell Gardens |
| Jose Mariscal |
Sr. |
F |
Cal State LA |
Whittier |
|
| All-CCAA Second Team |
| Name |
Yr. |
Pos. |
School |
Hometown |
| Griffin Welch |
Jr. |
GK |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
Long Beach |
| Víctor Casillas |
So. |
D |
Cal Poly Pomona |
Downey |
| Ty Kerns |
Sr. |
D |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Los Angeles |
| Damon Smith |
Sr. |
D |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
Palmdale |
| Jacob Arellano |
Jr. |
MF |
Cal State San Marcos |
Riverside |
| Juan Calderon |
Fr. |
MF |
Cal State Dominguez Hills |
Moreno Valley |
| Sylas Sells |
Sr. |
MF |
Cal State Monterey Bay |
Fresno |
| Alix Soukup |
Sr. |
MF |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Canoga Park |
| Rafa Fonseca-# |
Sr. |
F |
Cal State San Bernardino |
Fontana |
| Tim Schwarz |
Sr. |
F |
Menlo |
Wiesbaden, Germany |
| Zion Vaughn |
Jr. |
F |
Fresno Pacific |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| Honorable Mentions |
| GK: Angel Joaquin (UCM), Vebjørn Madshus (MENLO), Donovan Palomares-^ (CSUSB), Yoel Vazquez (CSUSM). D: Geovanni Antuna (CSULA), Beau Brusseau (FPU), Franco De Luna (CSULA), Cam Fisk (CSUMB), Juan Lara-^ (UCM), Brando Oros (CSUSM), David Politron (CSUDH), Aleksandar Somov (CPP). MF: Felix Alverdale (CSULA), Jose Garcia (CPP), Omar Garcia (UCM), Daniel Gutierrez (CPP), Preston Larger (FPU), Olof Larsson (CSUMB), Kenny Livernois-^ (CSUSB), Josh Moll (CSUMB), Ignacio Moreno (CSULA), Kiichi Murakami (CSUEB), Jose Ponce-^ (STAN), Andrew Valencia (CSUSM), Alejandro Zarate-* (CSUEB). F: Alexis Cervantes (STAN), Matthew Ibarra (CSUSM), Christian Khanishian-^ (UCM), Kai Martin (CSUMB), Nevin Rueegger (CSUSB), Angel Sandres (CSULA), Philip Wolny (CSUMB). |
| * - previous All-CCAA first team selection; # - previous All-CCAA second team selection; ^ - previous honorable mention. |