SAN RAMON—In one sense, Damion Lewis and Jeremiah Egujie are in some pretty good company. In another, they stand alone. The pair joined just five others in the history of Chico State men's soccer to earn consecutive First Team All-CCAA honors when the team was announced Thursday, on the eve of the CCAA Men's Soccer Tournament semifinals. They are the only teammates to have done so.
 
They are joined on the team by teammates Eddie Zecena (the CCAA Freshman of the Year and a Second Team All-CCAA selection), Garrett Hogbin, and Ronan McEnroe (both honorable mention All-CCAA).
 
Those five will help lead the Wildcats in Thursday's 4:30 p.m. CCAA Tournament semifinal showdown with Cal State LA in La Jolla, on the campus of UC San Diego.
 
Lewis, the CCAA's Defensive Player of the Year and a Second Team All-West Region selection last season, is the inaugural winner of the CCAA's brand new Goalkeeper of the Year honor. 
 
After a regular-season in which he ranked second in the nation with a .875 save percentage, third with 10 shutouts, and fifth in goals-against average (.446), Lewis might have many more awards coming his way.
 
The senior from Miami, Florida, is tied for first in school history with 23 career shutouts and ranks second all-time with 31 victories.
 
"He's as good as any we've had here. He's a game-changer and he's proved that over and over," Wildcats Head Coach Felipe Restrepo said. "But more-so than the talent what he brings is the leadership—that fire and enthusiasm you need in the locker room. I think that's a strength of his and one that I hope he continues to fine tune because I think he'll be able to lean on that and do something special in this world."
 
Egujie's nine goals leads the team this season, and he's dished out assists in each of the Wildcats' last two matches. He scored a team-high 10 times last season and has a chance to join Omar Nuño as the only Wildcats to have scored double-digit goals in consecutive seasons since Chris Wondolowski—who went on to win the 2012 MLS MVP, two MLS Golden Boots, and is just one goal shy of the MLS career record—accomplished the feat in 2003-04.
 
"Having Jeremiah up front puts everyone on their toes. You have to have a game plan for him because if you don't you're in trouble," Restrepo said. "It's hard for him because he takes a lot of the opponents' attention and energy, but he welcomes that because he knows that he's a big-time player and big-time players have to show up in big-time games and big-time moments. He's proven that he can do that.
 
"I'm really proud of him. I've seen a tremendous amount of growth in his time here. He's just a wonderful man. People see the fierce competitor on the field, but when you get to know him he's just this cuddly bear. He's always there for his teammates and willing to put himself up front, which I respect. You need guys on your team like that."
 
Egujie and Lewis join Tyler Cornell, Wondolowski, Mike Gardner, Ferid Celosmanovic, and Nuño in earning back-to-back First Team All-CCAA honors.
 
Zecena and Hogbin are candidates to be next.
 
Zecena tied for the team lead with four assists this season.
 
He's special. He's as good a center midfielder as we've had here," Restrepo said. "He's technical and slippery and really good in tight spaces. If you really watch him closely he's got some grit to him. He's fierce. I'm so excited to coach him for the next few years. The sky is the limit for him."
 
Hogbin is the team's captain and the leader of a defensive unit that frequently made life easier on Lewis this season. The Wildcats allowed only eight goals in 18 matches this season and surrendered only 3.22 shots on goal per game while registering 10 shutouts. Hogbin, only a sophomore, also delivered three goals and an assist.

"Garrett is as talented as anyone on this team," Restrepo said. "But where he separates himself is he's truly our MVP. He's our leader. He does all the dirty work. He does all the things behind the scenes. He's rallying the guys at practice and outside the field. He's a special student-athlete."
 
McEnroe's story is a bit different than the others'. But his performance as the team's defensive holding midfielder has been no less valuable to the Wildcats, who enter the postseason with a 12-4-1 record and riding a three-match win streak, all via shutout. 
 
"Ronan came in here as a walk-on and knew he wasn't going to see the field for a couple of years," explained Restrepo. "Now in his junior year you are seeing him blossom and become a leader and crucial part of this team."
 
McEnroe has also notched two goals, an assist, and played the fourth most minutes on the team behind only Lewis, defender Justin Bethke, and Hogbin.