Machingauta honoured

senior centre-back Machingauta from Marondera in Zimbabwe both landed on the 11-player All-MVC first team, marking the 15th consecutive year the Braves have produced at least one first-team all-conference player.
And the United States Embassy in Harare was among the first people to congratulate Machingauta for receiving the award on Thursday.
“Makorokoto to Tapiwa Machingauta who was honoured to be elected as part of the honorary first men’s all-star soccer team at the Missouri Valley Conference awards. Tapiwa, a senior at Bradley University, attended Prince Edward School and is from Marondera.”
Meanwhile, Junior midfielder Keegan Balle and junior goalkeeper Brian Billings both garnered second-team All-MVC notice, while defender Grant Bell and striker Jason Lesch both were named to the 11-player Valley All-Freshmen Team.
An honorable mention All-MVC pick as a junior in 2011, Graf shared Bradley’s goal-scoring lead with seven goals this season, despite missing seven games due to injury. 
Balle also scored seven goals and added four assists for a team-best 18 points.  With 33 points on 12 goals and nine assists, Balle inherits the title of Bradley’s “active career scoring leader” from Graf heading into the 2013 season.
Machingauta was the only Brave to start all 20 games this season, anchoring Bradley’s defense from his sweeper position while playing 1 845 of the season’s 1 892 total minutes.  He also added two assists from his defensive spot.
Billings is a repeat pick as the league’s second-team All-MVC goalkeeper.  He started 19 of Bradley’s 20 games in 2012, finishing the year with 4.0 shutouts and a 1.15 goals against average.
Bell and Lesch were among the seven Braves, and the only newcomers, to play in all 20 games this season.  Bell started 15 times in Bradley’s back line, while Lesch started 14 times and finished the season with six points on two goals and two assists. 
Both of his goals were game-winners, on September 29 versus Northern Kentucky (1-0) and on October  13 against Evansville (2-0).
The six Braves honoured on Thursday night helped Bradley to a 10-6-4 final record, the third consecutive year that Bradley has won at least 10 games, and a tie for third in the Missouri Valley Conference standings with a 3-2-1 league record.
Creighton senior midfielder Jose Gomez was voted the Valley’s Player of the Year, while fellow Bluejay Andrew Ribiero was named Defensive Player of the Year. 
Southern Illinois-Edwardsville claimed the other two specialty awards: goalminder John Berner was named Goalkeeper of the Year and the Cougar coaches, lead by head coach Kevin Kalish, were voted the Coaching Staff of the Year.
Profile
At Bradley (2009-Active)
After arriving in the United States from Zimbabwe during the summer of 2009, Machingauta quickly settled into the starting sweeper position and played all 1 640 possible minutes during his freshman season.
He started in the middle of the back line for each of the first 14 games in 2010, before a leg injury forced him out of action the rest of the season.
Machingauta played for MPS Portland Phoenix in the Premier Development League during the summer of 2010 and he recorded his first point of the 2012 season by assisting on Wojciech Wojcik’s goal against Lipscomb.
All 68 matches Machingauta played for the Braves, he started. He ended his career playing every single minute of the 2012 season and was a constant threat to opposing attackers on the Bradley back-line.
Coming to America
Machingauta follows Thando Dzowa (1998-2001) as the second player from Zimbabwe to suit up for the Braves.
Overall, Machingauta became the seventh foreign player in Bradley soccer history.
Prep Overview
He was the team’s captain and most valuable player in 2008. Machingauta led his Prince Edward School in Harare into several international tournaments.
He was named the tournament’s Best Defender during the 2008 Benoni Tournament in South Africa.
Club Soccer
Vice captain of the Harare Provincial Team in 2008 and he also trained with the Zimbabwe Under-20 team in the same year.
Personal
The son of Boniface Machingauta and Sandy Charumira. — BradleyBraves.com.