|
Four Gamecocks Garner All-Conference USA Honors, Berson Coach Of The Year
DALLAS, Texas - Four
South Carolina men's soccer players garnered All-Conference USA honors
on Tuesday, while Gamecock head coach Mark Berson was named the
league's Coach of the Year. The awards were voted on by the league head
coaches. The honors were announced a day before the 2011 C-USA
Tournament kicks off in Tulsa, Okla., at the Hurricane Soccer and Track
Complex.
South Carolina sophomore forward Bradlee Baladez was
selected to the Conference USA First Team, senior midfielder Stephen
Morrissey was named to the second team; and freshman midfielder Braeden
Troyer and senior defender Danny Cates were selected to the third team.
Troyer was also named to the league's all-freshman squad.
Berson
earns the C-USA Coach of the Year honor for the first time, while it
marks the second career coach of the year award for the long-time
Carolina head coach, as he was named the Independent Coach of the Year
following the 1998 campaign. Berson led an exceptionally young team to
the 2011 C-USA regular season co-championship this fall, and the squad
enters tournament play as the No. 1 seed after a 6-1-1 record in league
games. Earlier this season, Berson became just the eighth NCAA Division
I coach all-time to reach the 450-victory milestone, captured when
Carolina earned a thrilling 1-0 double overtime win at No. 22 UCF in a
crucial match towards the regular-season race. Berson is in his 35th
season overall as a college head coach and his 34th at South Carolina.
Baladez
paced the Gamecocks during the regular season with seven goals and five
assists for 19 points on the season. The Dallas, Texas, native tallied
at least one point in all eight of South Carolina's conference USA
matches this fall, including two game-winning tallies, at UAB and
versus Tulsa. Entering postseason play, Baladez leads the Gamecocks
with 52 shots, including 23 on goal. He was a 2010 all-conference third
team and all-freshman team selection.
A senior captain for the
2011 squad, Morrissey has tallied four goals on 15 shots, including
five on goal this season. The Franklin, Tenn., native netted the game
winner in South Carolina's 2-1 victory over High Point earlier this
fall, while also scoring goals versus then-No. 21 Charlotte, Bradley
and SMU. Morrissey has started all 17 games this season for the Garnet
and Black. He was also selected to the 2008 C-USA All-Freshman team.
Cates'
selection to the all-conference team marks the first of his career. The
Irmo, S.C., native has contributed five assists this season, which is
tied for the team high. His first assist of the 2011 campaign came in
the season opener at College of Charleston, while he also added assists
versus UAB, SMU, in a shutout over NC State and versus Kentucky. A key
member of the Carolina defensive line, Cates has helped the Gamecocks
achieve three team shutouts this season.
Troyer quickly emerged
as a force in the Gamecock midfield during his freshman campaign. The
Columbia, S.C., native has started all 17 matches for the squad, and
has contributed five goals, which ranks second on the team. He has also
added two game winners this fall, the first against Marshall followed
by the winner on the road at FIU. Troyer has eight shots on frame this
season, with five of those resulting in goals.
South Carolina
travels to the 2011 Conference USA Tournament in Tulsa, Okla., this
week where the top-seeded Gamecocks will play the winner of the first
quarterfinal match between No. 4 seed Marshall and No. 5 seed SMU. The
Gamecocks will play in the first semifinal match, which will take place
on Friday at 6 p.m. ET.
Conference USA All-Conference Awards
Player of the Year
Mark Sherrod, Memphis
Offensive Player of the Year
Mark Sherrod, Memphis
Defensive Player of the Year
Diogo de Almeida, SMU
Freshman of the Year
Tony Rocha, Tulsa
Coach of the Year
Mark Berson, South Carolina
All-Conference First Team
F, Mark Sherrod, Memphis
F, Arthur Ivo, SMU
F, Bradlee Baladez, South Carolina
F, Babayele Sodade, UAB
M, Liam Collins, Memphis
M, Warren Creavalle, UCF
M, Kevan George, UCF
D, Anthony Hobbs, FIU
D, Diogo de Almeida, SMU
D, Andrew Quintana, UCF
GK, Daniel Withrow, Marshall
All-Conference Second Team
F, Juan Castillo, SMU
F, Corey Albertson, Tulsa
M, Tom Jackson, Marshall
M, Anthony Virgara, Marshall
M, T.J. Nelson, SMU
M, Stephen Morrissey, South Carolina
M, Omar Mata, Tulsa
D, Dylan Asher, Kentucky
D, J.J. Greer, Memphis
D, Reed Matte, UAB
GK, Carl Woszczynski, UAB
All-Conference Third Team
F, Quentin Albrecht, FIU
F, Matt Lodge, Kentucky
F, Tyler Riggs, Kentucky
F, McKauly Tulloch, UCF
M, Braeden Troyer, South Carolina
M, Tony Rocha, Tulsa
M, Nik Robson, UCF
D, Danny Cates, South Carolina
D, Blaine Gonsalves, Tulsa
D, Mladen Lemez, UAB
GK, Conor Hurley, Memphis
All-Freshman Team
F, Quentin Albrecht, FIU
D, Marco Bordon, Kentucky
M, Jahvon Allison, Marshall
D, Chandler Gagnon, Memphis
M, Wil Linder, Memphis
D, Aaron Simmons, SMU
M, Braeden Troyer, South Carolina
M, Abe Matamoros, Tulsa
F, Stephen Roberson, Tulsa
M, Tony Rocha, Tulsa
D, Darion Copeland, UAB
F, Diego Navarrete, UAB
D, Leo Ayala, UCF
|
