Ruiz Ospina, Mink named NJCAA All-Americans

PERKINSTON — Two Mississippi Gulf Coast standouts were named to the NJCAA Division II Men's Soccer All-American Team on Tuesday, the third time since 2017 the Bulldogs have had a pair of players on that squad.

Keeper David Ruiz Ospina and defender Alexander Mink earned spots on the Second Team after helping Gulf Coast reach the NJCAA Tournament for the second time. Gulf Coast leads all MACCC teams with the two All-Americans.

In 2021, defender Chad Hudson was named to the Second Team and midfielder Hyungjoon Lee was on the Third Team. In 2017, forward Jordan Hall earned First Team recognition with keeper Owen Betz on the Third Team. 

Ruiz Ospina, a sophomore from Manizales, Colombia, went 12-4-5 with a 1.10 goals-against average. He had five shutouts, and he was one of the best passers on the team. 

"It's one more feather in his cap for being one of the best goalkeepers in the country," Gulf Coast coach Chris Handy said. "It's well deserved. He was outstanding for us all year long, and he deserves this recognition."

Mink, a freshman from Long Beach, played mainly at center back. He helped Gulf Coast put allow just 1.14 goals while scoring three goals with three assists. He got a late game-winning goal against Jones in the first game of the season.

"He was a player who was highly recruited, and he stepped up and took a leadership role as a freshman," Handy said. "That's not really easy to do. He led us from the back all year long, and he was also directly responsible for winning games for us. The fact that a freshman can come in and be an All-American and put his name out there nationally is really exciting for the program and really exciting for the kid."

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