WALESKA, Ga. - On Wednesday, the Appalachian Athletic Conference (AAC) unearthed their 2025 Men's Soccer All-AAC teams and Academic All-AAC honorees. Milligan's striker, Kerim Akpinar was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Year and the Golden Boot winner for scoring the most goals in the conference. Five of the Buffaloes' players (including Akpinar) were recognized as All-AAC team members this season, with three earning first-team plaudits and two being selected to the second-team. Additionally, they tied Union Commonwealth for the most academic honorees in the conference, with 21.

Milligan's three All-AAC First Team players were Akpinar, Johnny Salgado and Kodjo Bakou. On the All-AAC Second Team, Emir Basar and Adria Alles were listed as honorees.

Akpinar's stellar season includes 14 goals scored and three assists to this point, as he has also played the second-most minutes for the team overall with 1,441. He has been responsible for a team-best four game-winning goals. Salgado's season in the midfield has included a goal scored and an assist, though much of what he does for the team as captain and facilitator of the offense is not quantifiable. Similarly, as a defensive winger, Kodjo Bakou has not had a ton of statistical impact with just two assists on the season, but his play manning the wing on defense has helped the Buffaloes to a +21 goal differential for the season to this point.

On the Buffs' opposite wing, Basar scored a pair of goals and supplied five assists for the team to earns Second-Team honors. He began the campaign in a forward role for about a week before becoming a heavily important defensive piece on the wing. Alles has posted a 9-5-2 record in net for the Buffs this season, having played 16 of the team's 18 contests for the season, and he has saved 67 of the 81 shots that he has faced for the year en route to his recognition.

The Buffs' 21 Academic All-AAC honorees are listed below:

Kerim Akpinar
Adria Alles
Federico Confaloni
Luke Cumming
Joao Ferreira
Nathan Gilhooly
Sam Hauser
Youseff Heggy
Jayce Johnston
Liam Lahsangah
Emilio Linares
Isaac Lizotte
Camden Lyles
Justin Madejski
Connor Mast
Florian Quast
Isaiah Richard
Ben Roder
Dani Rojas
Theophilus Williams
Diego Zarate

Click HERE to view the full conference awards.