ST. PAUL – The University of Northwestern football team was well-represented on Wednesday's Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) postseason awards release, having nine players named First Team All-UMAC and four selected Second Team All-UMAC. 

See the complete UMAC release here.

The First Team All-UMAC honorees were: Caleb Couwenhoven (Blaine, Minn./Fridley), Ben Evans (Earlham, Iowa/Homeschool), TJ Palme (West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic), Ben Lyons (North Olmstead, Ohio/Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy), Daniel Petkau (Rib Lake, Wis./Rib Lake), Nathan Van Zee (Moose Lake, Minn./Moose Lake), Ben Greener (Foley, Minn./Home School), Luke Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area ) and Nick Swore (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northpointe Christian). The second team included Grant Schoen (Independence, Minn. /Orono), Matt Fox (Roxbury, N.J./Hillcrest Academy), Austin Stubbs (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) and Austin Warner (Fridley, Minn./Fridley). Zac Cash (Highlands Ranch, Colo. /Mountain Vista ) was named to the All-Sportsmanship Team for the Eagles. In addition to the individual awards, UNW took home the Team Sportsmanship Award for the 2015 campaign. The award is given to honor a team who best exemplified sportsmanship throughout the season.

On the offensive side of the ball, Caleb Couwenhoven (Blaine, Minn./Fridley) hauled in 24 receptions for 567 yards and seven scores. The senior's seven touchdown catches against UMAC opponents ranked third in the conference. Offensive linemen Ben Evans (Earlham, Iowa/Homeschool) and TJ Palme (West Des Moines, Iowa/Dowling Catholic) were both repeat selections to the all-conference team. Evans, a two-time first team selection, and Palme anchored the left side of the offensive line, clearing the way for UNW's ground attack and giving up just nine sacks this season.

Grant Schoen (Independence, Minn. /Orono) threw for over 1500 yards in league games, firing 14 touchdown passes – a number which tied for most among UMAC quarterbacks. Schoen, who completed over 50 percent of his throws, led the Eagles to an impressive 8-1 mark in loop play.  

For a team to be successful, it must excel in all three facets of the game and the Eagles did just that this season and were recognized for their success. Kicker Ben Lyons (North Olmstead, Ohio/Ohio Distance & Electronic Learning Academy) and punter Daniel Petkau (Rib Lake, Wis./Rib Lake) were both named First Team All-UMAC for their outstanding efforts in the special teams game. Lyons connected on 4-of-5 field goal attempts, including a pair of 42-yard field goals this fall. In addition he missed just one extra point in 35 attempts. Petkau, who was named to the D3football.com Team of the Week during the week of Oct. 20, led the UMAC in punting, averaging over 38 yards per boot. He boomed six 50-plus yard punts, while dropping 13 kicks inside the 20-yard line.

On the defensive side of the ball the Eagles boast one of the top defenses around, as they rank sixth in the nation in total defense and 14^th in scoring defense. Nathan Van Zee (Moose Lake, Minn./Moose Lake) racked up 43 tackles from his defensive end position, including 9.5 tackles for loss. The senior was also in on 2.5 sacks. Ben Greener (Foley, Minn./Home School) was dominant at linebacker this fall for the Eagles, recording a team-best 96 tackles – including 8.5 for loss. He averaged nearly 11 stops per game, which ranked third in the league. He was twice named UMAC Defensive Player of the Week and posted double-digit tackle totals in the final four games. Luke Sommerlot (Pocahontas, Iowa/Pocahontas Area ) was a leader all season for the Eagles, as the senior captained the Eagles' stout defense. He posted 10 tackles for loss in conference games en route to totaling 63 on the season. Sommerlot also notched four sacks from his linebacker position. Freshman Nick Swore (Grand Rapids, Mich./Northpointe Christian) made an immediate impact for Northwestern, as he picked off three passes during conference games, including a pick six in the regular season finale against Eureka.

Matt Fox (Roxbury, N.J./Hillcrest Academy) was a strong interior presence on the defensive line, taking on blockers and freeing up linebackers to make plays in the run game. Fox also grabbed one interception this season.  Defensive backs Austin Stubbs (Pleasant Hill, Iowa/Des Moines Christian) and Austin Warner (Fridley, Minn./Fridley) were lockdown defenders in the secondary, helping limit big plays for opponents. Stubbs pulled in three interceptions, while breaking up six passes, while Warner posted five pass breakups in UMAC games.

The Eagles will play at Southwest Assemblies of God University Saturday at noon in the 2015 NCCAA Victory Bowl. Fans can find more information on Saturday's contest in Waxahachie, Texas, at www.unweagles.com.