Alexander Brems Named CCAA Male Athlete of the Year
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After a senior season where he led his team to the national championship match and picked up United Soccer Coaches Division II Player of the Year, Cal State LA goalkeeper Alexander Brems has earned distinction as the CCAA Male Athlete of the Year. He is just the third Golden Eagle male to claim the award, which is voted on by the 13 conference sports information staffs across the league.
A second-year transfer from Odense, Denmark, Brems was a key figure in Cal State LA’s record-breaking season. The Golden Eagles closed the season as CCAA champions and Super Region 4 champions as the squad, with Brems between the pipes, advanced to the national championship match for the first time since 1981. Closing the year with a 19-1-3 overall record, the team claimed the highest winning percentage in Cal State LA program history (.891). Individually, Brems ended his two-year career with 28 shutouts, also setting a new program benchmark.
Brems set the national standard in shutouts this season, with 14 clean sheets. His stingy goals against average mark of .421 led the conference and was second in NCAA Division II and his .848 save percentage ranked fifth in the country.
With 56 saves on the season, two postseason chances stand out. First, he stopped a penalty kick in the opening minutes of a second-round game against Midwestern State that the Golden Eagles went on to win, 3-0. The stop came with the game still scoreless and seemed to energize the Cal State LA offense, who went on two score a pair of goals before the half.
Then, in the next round, Brems stopped the first penalty-kick try by St. Mary's in the shootout after the game ended in a 1-1 tie. After Brems' stop, the Golden Eagles converted in their next four attempts to secure a 5-3 advantage and move onto the next round.
Brems’ senior season came with many accolades including United Soccer Coaches Division II Player of the Year, CCAA Goalkeeper of the Year, and unanimous First Team All-American status to go along with the league’s Male Athlete of the Year award.
Brems is just the third Cal State LA male earning the CCAA’s year-ending award, joining track and field athletes Sam Turner (1977-78) and Tambi Wenj (95-96) as honorees. The Golden Eagles women have enjoyed five selections, also all track and field competitors. Brems stands as the eighth Cal State LA representative to take top conference honors in program history.
CCAA Athletes of of the Year >>>