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 The Madison 56ers missed out on the National Premier Soccer League Midwest Region championship last summer on a tiebreaker.
But the 56ers ended up with the most players on the regional All-Star team, landing five players on the 14-member team.
Defender Trevor Banks (Madison Memorial) led the way for the Madison contingent, making the honor team for the second straight season — in 2008, he was picked as a midfielder. Goalkeeper Jon Szafranski, defender Brian Bultman and midfielders Keith Dangarembwa and Pablo Delgado were the 56ers' other All-Stars.
Bultman and Delgado recently finished up their senior seasons at the University of Wisconsin; Szafranski was an honorable mention All-Minnesota Intercollegiate Athletic Conference pick as a senior at NCAA Division III St. Mary's; and Dangarembwa was an All-North Coast Athletic Conference selection as a sophomore at Division III Kenyon (Ohio).
The two teams that tied Madison for the top spot with 5-2-1 records — the St. Paul Twin Stars, who won the tiebreaker to claim their second straight Midwest title, and the Chicago Fire NPSL — each had four players on the squad.
Among the Fire players honored was forward Scott Lorenz, a second-team All-Big Ten Conference pick for UW as a senior this fall, while league newcomer Eau Claire Aris FC had the other first-teamer in forward Mike Ohnesorge (Mosinee).
Twin Stars midfielder Igor Stosic was the Midwest MVP. He made the All-Star team for the third straight year, joining former 56ers forward Jed Hohlbein (Middleton/UW) and defender Reed Cooper (Madison West) as the only players to accomplish the feat. Hohlbein was selected in each of the league's first four seasons.
St. Paul defender Richard Kamara and forward Adama Diawara and Fire defender Hunter Van Houten joined Banks and Stosic as repeat selections.
NPSL MIDWEST REGION ALL-STAR TEAM
Goalkeepers: Alex Nyom, St. Paul Twin Stars; Jon Szafranski, Madison 56ers.
Defenders: Richard Kamara, St. Paul Twin Stars; Hunter Van Houten, Chicago Fire NPSL; Trevor Banks, Madison 56ers; Brian Bultman, Madison 56ers.
Midfielders: Igor Stosic, St. Paul Twin Stars; Carlos Bulio, Chicago Fire NPSL; Keith Dangarembwa, Madison 56ers; Pablo Delgado, Madison 56ers.
Forwards: Adama Diawara, St. Paul Twin Stars; Mike Ohnesorge, Eau Claire Aris FC; Scott Lorenz, Chicago Fire NPSL; Victor Freeman, Chicago Fire NPSL.
MVP: Igor Stosic, St. Paul Twin Stars.
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