Chris Ritter Up for Soccer News Net Men's College Player of the Year

The men's soccer team's season may be over after falling to Louisville in the Sweet 16, but an individual still has a chance to garner an award.

Senior defensive midfielder Chris Ritter has been named one of 36 finalists for the Soccer News Net Men's College Player of the Year. Ritter was the key cog and captain in the center of the field for a Wildcat team that went 13-6-4 and repeated as Big Ten regular season champions sharing the crown with Penn State.

The quest to the elusive Final Four came up a couple rounds short, but it was still a banner year for the Wildcats and especially Ritter, who posted career highs in goals (5) and assists (6). His offensive prowess was impressive, yet his work on the other side of the ball was what garnered him an unprecedented Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award as a center midfielder.

The man affectionately nicknamed, "Critter", has a big decision to make in the coming weeks as he does have an option for a fifth year due to a medical redshirt, but is a strong candidate to be offered a homegrown contract by the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer or could choose to enter the draft. I'm sure head Coach Tim Lenahan would love for his leader on the pitch to return for one more chance to reach the program's first Final Four, but Ritter's stock is high coming off of a unanimous 1st team All-Big Ten campaign.

Help Ritter add one more award to his resume and vote for him to win the Soccer News Net Men's College Player of the Year here.