Popp caps career with NMU team MVP honors
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MARQUETTE -- Sam Popp's award-winning soccer season continued at the recent Northern Michigan University team banquet.
Popp, son of former Iron Mountain High School and Northern Michigan University athletic standout Rick Popp, accepted the team most valuable player along with the offensive MVP and the goal of the year awards.
Popp, a senior forward from Northville, fueled the team’s offense this season by setting program records in nearly every offensive category.
His 10 goals and 23 points both led the conference and were the most for an NMU student-athlete in the three-year history of the program. Popp is also tied with senior forward Nic Harenda (Waukesha, Wis.) for the career assists record.
Popp’s efforts in 2018 were enough to be honored with second team All-Great Lakes Conference accolades.
Popp joined NMU teammates Kevin Hoof of Maple Grove, Minn., and Callum Olpin of Norwich, England, on the United Soccer Coaches' All-Midwest Region squad.
Popp was also named to the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioners Association all-region second team. The D2CCA all-region teams are nominated and selected by the region’s sports information directors.
Popp was named the GLIAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 15 after scoring three goals in a weekend.
Popp's "goal of the year" came in a 2-2 draw with nationally-ranked Saginaw Valley State in October. For the second time in the match, Popp found the back of the net to even the contests at two goal each in the 74th-minute. A free kick from just outside the box was bent into the near side of the net.
In 2018, Popp was a member of the first NMU men’s soccer graduating class after transferring to the program for their first season of competition in 2016. He now owns the career records for goals, assists, and points as well as five more categories.
Popp comes from a family rich in Northern Michigan athletics history. His father, Rick, quarterbacked the 1987 football team that won the GLIAC crown with an undefeated record and reached the national semifinals. His mother, Sue, captained the basketball team that went 24-4 and qualified for the 1989 national tournament.
He is the grandson of Bernice Popp and Bill (Sugar) Popp, who helped the football team make the 1960 NAIA national playoffs.
For the first time in NMU men's soccer history, the Wildcats finished with a .500 overall record and matched last season’s win total.