SILOAM SPRINGS, Ark. -- John Brown University placed three players on the All-Sooner Athletic Conference first team and five overall, with senior midfielder Marco Brizuela, junior goalkeeper Juan Almanza and freshman defender Kevin Acosta leading the Golden Eagles' 2026 all-conference selections.
Sophomore midfielder Constantin Bauer and freshman defender Jaksa Pantic earned second-team recognition, completing a group that helped John Brown finish the regular season 10-4-1 overall and 6-3-0 in league action. The Golden Eagles secured the No. 2 seed in the SAC Tournament while producing seven shutouts and allowing just 12 goals across 15 regular-season matches.
For Brizuela, the first-team selection punctuated a return to the pitch after an injury sidelined him for the entirety of the 2025 campaign. The San José, Costa Rica, native appeared in 14 matches, starting 13, and finished with three goals and six assists for 12 points, surpassing his seven-point output from 2024. Two of his three goals proved to be match-winners, including the deciding penalty kick in John Brown's 2-1 season-opening victory over Benedictine (Kan.) on Aug. 20, a performance that earned him his first career SAC Offensive Player of the Week honor. He followed with a goal and an assist in a 3-0 victory over Mission (Mo.), helping the Golden Eagles begin the season with consecutive wins.
Almanza anchored the John Brown defense throughout the regular season, compiling an 8-4-1 record in 14 starts with a 0.92 goals-against average, 33 saves and a .733 save percentage. The Panama City, Panama, native recorded five solo clean sheets and contributed to another shared shutout, helping the Golden Eagles hold opponents scoreless in seven regular-season contests. His most notable performance came Sept. 4 at No. 25 Xavier (La.), where he matched his career high with six saves in a 3-0 victory despite the hosts holding a 17-7 advantage in shots. Almanza earned two SAC Defensive Player of the Week awards during the season, increasing his career total to four.
Acosta emerged as an unlikely scoring threat from the back line during the final stretch of conference play, netting all three of his regular-season goals in consecutive appearances. The freshman from Heredia, Costa Rica, opened his collegiate scoring account with an 82nd-minute header against Nelson (Texas) on Oct. 17 before adding another goal in a 3-0 road victory at Wayland Baptist (Texas) four days later. He completed the three-match scoring streak in John Brown's regular-season finale against Oklahoma City on Oct. 27, heading home the opening goal of a 3-0 victory that secured the Golden Eagles' second-place conference finish. Acosta appeared in eight matches, making five starts, and finished with six points despite his defensive responsibilities.
Bauer earned second-team recognition after leading John Brown's offensive production with six goals, seven assists and 19 points across 15 regular-season appearances. The Mainz, Germany, native also accounted for a team-best three game-winning goals and shared responsibility for 13 of the Golden Eagles' 29 goals through his scoring and distribution. His signature performance came in the Sept. 4 victory at No. 25 Xavier, where he struck twice in a seven-minute second-half span to secure his first collegiate brace. The performance earned Bauer his first career SAC Offensive Player of the Week recognition, adding to a sophomore campaign that also included the opening goal in a pivotal 3-0 victory at Wayland Baptist on Oct. 21.
Pantic rounded out the Golden Eagles' selections after establishing himself as a regular presence along the defensive back line in his first collegiate season. The Belgrade, Serbia, native appeared in all 15 regular-season matches, making 11 starts and logging 1,129 minutes while contributing to a defense that conceded fewer than one goal per contest. He played the full 90 minutes in John Brown's shutout victory at No. 25 Xavier and supplied a critical defensive save in the 86th minute at Southwestern Christian (Okla.) on Sept. 29, clearing an opposing attempt to preserve another 3-0 road victory.
The three first-team selections matched John Brown's highest total over the past four seasons, equaling the program's three first-team honorees in both 2023 and 2024. The Golden Eagles have now collected at least five All-SAC selections in four consecutive seasons, totaling 24 all-conference honors during that span.
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