On Friday afternoon, the Ohio Valley Conference announced the 2026 Men's Soccer All-OVC honorees, which included seven Lindenwood student athletes and head coach Kris Bertsch. Three Lions earned individual awards, while four others were named to the All-OVC Second Team and Newcomer Team.
OVC Defender of the Year – Luke Neely
Luke Neely was named the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Defender of the Year, becoming the second consecutive Lindenwood defender to earn the award. Neely played all 900 minutes during OVC competition and anchored a backline that led the conference with four shutouts. The Senior defender from Whitehouse, Texas was a two-time OVC Defender of the Week during the 2026 campaign and posted a career-high seven points, including five during conference play with two goals and one assist.
Neely led all Lindenwood position players in minutes played this season, logging 1,565 minutes across 18 matches. The 6'0 defender started all 18 contests and played the full 90 minutes in 16 of them.
"Luke being named OVC Defender of the Year is an incredible testament to the hard work he's put in over the last four seasons." said Bertsch. "His growth on the field is a direct result from his willingness to consistently learn and develop. He has been instrumental to our programs success and glad that he has been recognized for his play on the field."
OVC Goalkeeper of the Year – Quinn Closson
Quinn Closson became the first Lindenwood goalkeeper in the Division I era to be named the Ohio Valley Conference Goalkeeper of the Year. Closson led the conference with seven shutouts overall while also pacing the league in cleansheets during conference play with four. The fifth year goalkeeper from Fairfield, Connecticut also set the Lindenwood Division I era career record for cleansheets with 13, reaching the milestone on October 29 at Houston Christian in a 2-0 victory in which he made three saves.
In addition to leading the conference in shutouts, the 5'11 keeper paced the league with a 0.80 goals against average and recorded 45 saves, including 26 during conference play. Closson was named OVC Goalkeeper of the Week twice during the season, earning the honor in back-to-back weeks on September 22 and 29. Across those two weeks, he totaled 10 saves, two cleansheets, and just one goal allowed.
"I am truly happy for Quinn to have earned OVC Goalkeeper of the Year as he has been exceptional for our program the last two seasons." added Bertsch. "Last season, Quinn was one of the best statistical keepers in the nation with an 8-0-1 record, .25 Goals Against Average, and six shutouts. Quinn has fortunately stayed healthy this season and picked up where he left off in 2025, helping our program to back to back OVC Regular Season Championships. He continues to be among the nation's leaders in goalkeeping stats, while also setting the Lindenwood Soccer shutout record at the NCAA Division I level this season."
OVC Freshman of the Year – Javaun Mills
Javaun Mills was named the Ohio Valley Conference Freshman of the Year, becoming the first Lindenwood player to earn the honor at the Division I level. The freshman forward from Kingston, Jamaica appeared in 14 contests for the Lions, including nine OVC matches. Mills put 40% of his shots on goal and scored in Lindenwood's 4-0 road victory over SIUE on October 15, helping the Lions secure three important points in the conference standings.
The 5'6 midfielder played 608 minutes during conference competition and was on the field for three of the four shutouts recorded by the Lindenwood defense in OVC play.
"It's never easy for a Freshman to standout and get recognized but Javaun has done that since he arrived at Lindenwood. He's extremely humble and takes a lot of pride in his game. His maturity on the field has been very important to our success especially having so many new players in the program. I am happy for Javaun to have earned OVC Freshman of the Year and is well deserved."
OVC Coach of the Year – Kris Bertsch
Head coach Kris Bertsch was named the 2026 Ohio Valley Conference Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season after leading the Lions to their second straight OVC regular season championship. Lindenwood finished with a 5-2-3 conference record and went 3-0-2 at home, marking the second consecutive season the Lions finished undefeated at home in OVC play.
Bertsch revamped the roster during the 2025 offseason, bringing in 25 newcomers ahead of the 2026 campaign. He coached four newcomers to All-OVC recognition in Clement Baron, Javaun Mills, Milton Kapaya, and Leland Gray. The Lions also appeared in the top 10 of the United Soccer Coaches North Region Poll twice during the season on August 25 and September 8.
"It's always nice to receive individual accolades but as our players and staff know, no one finds success alone. It takes a village. There are so many wonderful people working together in our program and across the department helping our young men be successful. I am deeply grateful for everything they do to help us succeed." quoted Bertsch.
All-OVC First, Second, & Newcomer Team
In addition to earning OVC Defender and Goalkeeper of the Year honors, Neely and Closson were also selected to the All-OVC First Team for their respective performances this season.
"Congrats to Luke Neely and Quinn Closson on being named OVC First Team All-Conference. Both have been key contributors to our program and have set the tone everyday of the expectations and standards of Lindenwood Soccer. There is no doubt our team success is directly influenced by their efforts all season long."
Mills, along with teammates Clement Baron and Luca Bartoni, earned All-OVC Second Team recognition. Baron, a one-time OVC Defender of the Week selection, led Lindenwood's defensive group with three goals while appearing in all 10 conference matches. He played 860 of a possible 900 minutes during OVC competition and led the team with six points in conference play. The native of France appeared in 16 matches overall and played the full 90 minutes in 11 contests.
Meanwhile, Bartoni led the 2026 squad in both goals (six) and points (12). The fifth year forward was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week in back-to-back weeks on August 25 and September 1 after scoring four goals over that stretch. His lone goal during conference play came in the Lions' final home match of the regular season on Senior Night against Eastern Illinois, where he scored the game-winning goal to lift Lindenwood past the Panthers.
"Clement Baron, Luca Bartoni, and Javaun Mills earning OVC Second Team All-Conference shows the depth we were able to put on the field this season. Clement was one of the top Defenders in the OVC all season, Luca continues to lead us from the front, while Javaun has done very well in our midfield line. Very happy for all three to be recognized."
The final two Lindenwood student athletes recognized by the Ohio Valley Conference were Milton Kapaya and Leland Gray, who earned spots on the All-OVC Newcomer Team alongside teammates Baron and Mills.
Kapaya became the third Lindenwood defender to earn OVC Defender of the Week honors on October 27 after recording his first assist of the season in a 2-1 victory over Eastern Illinois. He also anchored a backline that recorded its fourth conference shutout, the most among any team in the OVC this season. The native of France appeared in all 10 conference matches and logged the second most minutes among Lindenwood position players with 869. He was also on the field for six of the team's eight shutouts overall this season.
Meanwhile, Gray, a sophomore from Virginia, tied for the team lead with three assists during OVC play. The 5'11 midfielder logged 710 minutes in conference matches and finished third on the team with three points during OVC competition.
"A major factor of our team success this season has been the many newcomers that have joined the program. Milton Kapaya, Clement Baron, Javaun Mills, and Leland Gray among many others have transitioned quickly and hit the ground running this season while also helping our program greatly."
2026 All-OVC Men's Soccer Teams
OVC Forward of the Year: Diego Robles, UIW
OVC Midfielder of the Year: Ricardo Garcia, HCU
OVC Defender of the Year: Luke Neely, Lindenwood
OVC Goalkeeper of the Year: Quinn Closson, Lindenwood
OVC Freshman of the Year: Javaun Mills, Lindenwood
OVC Co-Coach of the Year: Kris Bertsch, Lindenwood
OVC Co-Coach of the Year: Kiki Lara, UIW
ALL-OVC FIRST TEAM
Quinn Closson, Lindenwood GK 5th Fairfield, Conn.
Luke Neely, Lindenwood D Sr. Whitehouse, Texas
Archie McDonnell, SIUE D Sr. Leeds, England
Charles Chimezie, UIW D Jr. Dallas, Texas
Ricardo Garcia, HCU MF Sr. Houston, Texas
Mouhamed Pouye, UTRGV MF Sr. Dakar, Senegal
Reagan Gyedu, UIW MF Jr. Kumasi, Ghana
Diego Robles, UIW F Jr. San Antonio, Texas
Xavier Gagnon, Western Illinois F Sr. Saint Colomban, Quebec, Canada
Ryan Okerayi, HCU F Sr. Houston, Texas
Sergej Misic, Eastern Illinois F Sr. Belgrade, Serbia
ALL-OVC SECOND TEAM
Harvey Heeps, HCU GK So. Bedfordshire, England
Andre Ecker, Eastern Illinois D Sr. Santa Catarina, Brazil
Nico Kross, HCU D Sr. Heidenheim, Germany
Clement Baron, Lindenwood D 5th Nans Le Pins, France
Fernando Adrados, Western Illinois D Jr. Madrid, Spain
Javaun Mills, Lindenwood MF Fr. Kingston, Jamaica
Daniel Murray, SIUE MF So. Croydon, London
Christian Rotundo, Southern Indiana MF Fr. Bolton, Ontario
Ryley Gibbs, SIUE F Jr. O'Fallon, Mo.
Luca Bartoni, Lindenwood F 5th St. Louis, Mo.
Marcos Moore, HCU F Jr. Houston, Texas
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
Andre Ecker, Eastern Illinois D Sr. Santa Catarina, Brazil
Sergej Misic, Eastern Illinois F Sr. Belgrade, Serbia
Harvey Heeps, HCU GK So. Bedfordshire, England
Marcos Moore, HCU F Jr. Houston, Texas
Clement Baron, Lindenwood D 5th Nans Le Pins, France
Milton Kapaya, Lindenwood D Jr. Lyon, France
Javaun Mills, Lindenwood MF Fr. Kingston, Jamaica
Leland Gray, Lindenwood MF Fr. Fairfax Station, Va.
Brady Cochrane, SIUE GK Fr. Wentzville, Mo.
Christian Rotundo, Southern Indiana MF Fr. Bolton, Ontario
Charles Chimezie, UIW D Jr. Dallas, Texas
Victor Van Der Aa, UTRGV D Fr. Hilversum, The Netherlands
