What a season! The Owls were able to win “the double” and Union Omaha fans can ride that joy for the entire offseason. There are plenty of team achievements that have been mentioned all season, so let’s break out the microscope, sift through the USL League One awards, and check out the individual awards won by Union Omaha players.
Starting with the man at the helm, Jay Mims won Coach of the Year. There were lofty expectations around the club and he didn’t shy away from managing his team to another season-long repeat performance of excellence. He was able to inspire his team to score the most goals in the league this season, concede the fewest, and tie the record for greatest goal differential in a single season.
It didn’t take long for Mims to start collecting accolades this season. He was chosen as the Coach of the Month back in June. This was due, in part, to the strong start from the Owls. The team was already undefeated in the month of May, but Union Omaha kept the momentum going for the entire month of June, winning three matches and drawing two others. The team was able to avoid a single loss, score nine goals, only concede five goals, earn a clean sheet along the way, and finish the month of June in the same place they would ultimately finish the season – first place.
Rashid Nuhu had another stellar year between the goalposts. By the end of the season, Nuhu was able to boast 0.75 Goal Against Average good enough for the Golden Glove award. Over the course of his 26 starts this season, the Ghanaian earned nine clean sheets, which was good enough to tie him for second place and only one shutout away from the Goalkeeper of the Year – Akira Fitzgerald. Rashid Nuhu’s success was consistent and dependable, earning him multiple nominations and recognition in other categories such as a nomination for Save of the Playoffs, Second Team All-League Goalkeeper, two awards for Save of the Month (alongside an additional nomination), three awards for Save of the Week (two extra nominations, as well), and Goalkeeper of the Week on three separate occasions. Just as his song says, he kept the shots out and in doing so, helped Union Omaha find their way to the podium in November.
Damià Viader was the source of envy for every team in the league. Jay Mims knew what weapon he had in his arsenal and let him loose. His punishing play was perfectly balanced with technique and grit, which kept other clubs guessing his next step every minute of the match. If Viader was disappointed about not winning Most Valuable Player, for which he was deservedly nominated, he had a plethora of awards to keep him company in its absence.
He was awarded Defender of the Year, MVP of the USL League One Championship, First Team All-League Defender, Player of the Month for September (nominated for the same award in one other month), nominated for Goal of the Month in September, awarded Player of the Week in the fifth week of the regular season, winner of Goal of the Week for his goal against North Carolina FC in Week 22 (nominated for two other weeks), and was chosen as a member of the Team of the Week on nine separate weeks. Viader was one of, if not the, quickest players in the league and he left his competition in the dust literally and figuratively.
Though Greg Hurst came up short in the race for the Golden Boot, he was an essential piece of the offense as Union Omaha dealt with injuries, roster management, and player experimentations in unfamiliar positions. His unwavering work ethic and high pressure relieved a lot of pressure off his teammates, who returned the kind gesture of feeding him plenty of goal-scoring opportunities.
At the end of the season, Hurst was recognized as First Team All-League Forward, nominated for Player of the Month in June, nominated for Goal of the Month in July, awarded Player of the Week in Week 10, Goal of the Week in Week 17 (against North Texas SC), and was chosen as a member of Team of the Week six times throughout the regular season. The Scotsman had incredible chemistry with Evan Conway and was in the highest echelon of players in USL League One for reading the flow of the match and correctly anticipating the next move.
Just because Devin Boyce didn’t win the Assist Champion, doesn’t mean he wasn’t helpful to his teammates. His work rate, tenacity, and chemistry with Ferrety Sousa was incredible to watch this season. He didn’t let anyone intimidate him and made sure that only he and Sousa could work the right sideline. While combining with Sousa, Boyce was often able to get close to the corner flag and send plenty of crosses into the box, which explains why he was tied for second in the race for Assist Champion. His goal in the USL League One Championship was a masterpiece and was appropriately voted as the Goal of the Playoffs. He was also recognized as Second Team All-League Midfielder, nominated for Player of the Month in October, and Team of the Week five times (three of which were sequential). Other players in the league were afraid to turn their lights off at night because, just as his chant suggests, he’s everywhere.
One player who we missed for almost half of the season was Evan Conway. Union Omaha fans didn’t know it was possible, but they collectively held their breath for nearly three months as Conway was left out of the lineup with an injury. The 2020 Union Omaha leading scorer didn’t waste any time in making an impact once returning to competition. Once he returned in Week 20, he more than made for up lost time, finishing the remaining 12 matches in which he played with 8 goals (consisting of two separate hat-tricks) and an assist.
USL League One fans and voters expressed their love for Conway by nominating him for Goal of the Playoffs, awarded him Second Team All-League Forward, and nominated him for Player of the Month and Goal of the Month in October. He was awarded Player of the Week twice, Goal of the Week twice, and Team of the Week twice, as well. As short as his 2021 season was, he left a large impact on the field. His synergy with Greg Hurst was enough for defenders to start volunteering to be subbed off the field. A lot of Union Omaha fans are very happy for his recovery, thankful for his contributions, and are already starting to hold their breath again in anticipation of news regarding his contract with the club.
So many players within the club had a huge impact on the season and deserve the recognition they were awarded, or for which they were nominated, this season. To make life easy for all of you readers, I’ve compiled a complete list of End of Season, Postseason, Monthly, and Weekly nominations and award winners. Each and every player on the roster worked incredibly hard this season and deserve every bit of support from Búhos Nation. Once an Owl, Always an Owl. ¡Viva Búhos!
Who Gives A Hoot? 