LAWRENCEVILLE, NJ - The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) celebrates its 40th Anniversary throughout the 2020-21 academic year, continuing its mission to provide student-athletes the opportunity to succeed in both academics and athletics.

The 40th Anniversary Men's Soccer Team highlights some of the best student-athletes in MAAC history. MAAC Men's Soccer traces back to 1988, where Former MAAC members Army West Point and La Salle University competed in the first MAAC Championship. The following are Rider's honorees on the MAAC 40^th Anniversary Men's Soccer team:

Head Coach Charlie Inverso
A name synonymous with winning soccer in Mercer County, Charlie Inverso was named the new head coach of the Rider University men's soccer team in January of 2011. In 2015 he was named the NSCAA Northeast Region Coach of the Year and Inverso led the Broncs to three NCAA Tournament appearances in four years (2015, 2016, 2018). Inverso's Broncs made it to four-straight MAAC Championship Games (2015-18). Following a 44-year drought, players on Inverso's rosters earned All-America honors in back to back years (Christian Flath - 2016, Jose Aguinaga - 2017).

Craig Wicken, 1997-98
Wicken ushered Rider into the MAAC with consecutive MAAC Player of the Year honors en route to consecutive MAAC Championships in 1997 and 1998. He earned MAAC Championship MVP in 1998. He is the Broncs' all-time career scoring leader with 49 goals and 122 points. Wicken led the Broncs to a national ranking of #15.

Christian Flath, 2013-16
In 2016, Flath became Rider's first All-American since 1972 after being a four-time All-MAAC selection and the 2013 MAAC Rookie of the Year. Flath was a four-time All-MAAC selection, earning First Team in his freshman through junior seasons, before injuries limited him to a Second Team honor as a senior.  Flath became the fifth Broncs men's soccer player to earn All-America honors and the first since 1972. Flath led Rider to back-to-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championships in his last two seasons to advance to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1998. Flath was a two-time All-Region honoree and compiled 71 points, including 25 goals, in 65 career games played.

Florian Valot, 2014-15
Valot was a two-time All-MAAC First Team honoree and the 2014 MAAC Rookie of the Year before becoming a regular with the New York Red Bulls of the MLS. He graduated as a veteran of 34 games, including 16 appearances as a senior, all starts. He earned NSCAA All-Region Second Team and First Team All-MAAC in 2015. He had 14 points in 16 games as a senior, scoring six goals. He was seventh in the MAAC in goals and 10th in points (14). Valot was named the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Year as a junior, playing his first season in the United States. He also earned First Team All-MAAC honors. He ranked fifth in the MAAC in goals (7) and was sixth in the conference in points (18) and assists (4).

Jose Aguinaga, 2014-17
Aguinaga was selected by the New York Red Bulls in the 4th Round of the 2018 MLS Superdraft (85th overall). The selection capped a banner year and career for Aguinaga, who earned United Soccer Coaches All-America Second Team and led the Broncs to their third-straight MAAC Championship Game. Aguinaga was the Broncs' first professional draft pick since Bobby Smith was selected by the Philadelphia Atoms in their inaugural year of 1973. Rider's sixth All-American in program history, Aguinaga led Rider to back-to-back Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference Tournament Championships in 2015 and 2016 and three-straight MAAC Championship Games in his final three seasons. The 2017 Preseason MAAC Player of the Year, a three-time All-MAAC First Team and All-Northeast Region selection, Aguinaga finished second in the league with nine assists to go along with three goals, two game-winners, all in conference play. He also distributed five of his nine assists against league foes. Aguinaga also made his second appearance on the All-ECAC Team as a senior and finished his collegiate career as Rider's all-time leader in assists with 32, six more than any other player in program history.

Elliott Otmani, 2015-18
Otmani was a three-time All-MAAC selection and four-time MAAC All-Championship Team selection, earning MAAC Championship MVP honors twice in leading Rider to three MAAC titles in his four years. 
The 2017 United Soccer Coaches Scholar All-America First Team selection was named to the prestigious MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List prior to his senior season. He led the Broncs with 10 assists and 24 points as a senior. He had a goal or assist in eight of the Broncs' nine wins against MAAC foes in 2018. For his career, he scored 30 goals and dished out 22 assists, ranking seventh and sixth, respectively, in program history. Otmani capped one of the most prolific careers in Rider men's soccer history, becoming just the third Bronc all-time to total both 30 goals and 20 assists. He scored the game-winning goal to upend top-seeded, 2018 MAAC Regular Season Champion and defending MAAC Tournament Champion Fairfield on the Stags' home field in the semifinals to join the exclusive club, which consists of Rider's all-time leading scorer, Craig Wicken '99 (49 goals, 24 assists), and 1972 All-American Bobby Smith '72 (46 goals, 20 assists).