Dec. 15, 2008

C-USA Men's Soccer All-Region Selections

IRVING, Texas - Fourteen Conference USA Men's Soccer players were named All-Region by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) recently. Tulsa led the way with six overall selections on the Midwest Region team, three on the first team and three on the second team. Kentucky had three selections on the Midwest Region team, while SMU and UAB each had one member on the squad. South Carolina had two members on the South Region squad to round out the C-USA honorees.

Tulsa selections were highlighted by All-Midwest first-team members Ashley McInnes, Chris Clements, and Joe Salem. McInnes, the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, led the league in shots and assists and finished fifth in the league in points and tied for 10th in the league in goals with five. Clements was named second-team all C-USA this season as the defensive anchor on Tulsa's C-USA Championship squad, while Salem was a first-team All-C-USA pick.

Among TU's All-Midwest second-team picks were Tyrel Lacey, Chris Taylor and Austin Neil. Lacey was named C-USA's first-team goalkeeper in both 2007 and 2008 and led the league in goals against average. Taylor was chosen to the All-C-USA first-team at defender, while Neil burst onto the scene in his freshman season, notching an impressive 26 points and 11 goals to lead his team. Neil was named the league's Freshman of the Year.

UK's captain triumvirate of Barry Rice, Jason Griffiths and Dan Williams helped lead the Wildcats to a historical season and were rewarded with All-Midwest accolades. Rice, an All-America selection by TopDrawerSoccer.com in 2008, became the first player in conference history to win C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors in consecutive seasons and was a first-team NSCAA honoree. Griffiths, a first-team All-Conference USA selection in the midfield for coach Ian Collins' 2008 club, was selected to the second team, the first all-region honor of his career. Williams, a three-year starter in goal, posted an impressive 0.81 goals-against average, saving 59 shots and posting seven shutouts in 2008 to garner third-team honors.

UAB's Two-Boys Gumede was also an All-Midwest first-team pick at forward, while SMU's Jeff Harwell and Michael Coburn of Memphis were third-team selections in the Midwest Region at midfield and defender, respectively.

South Carolina's Jimmy Maurer was named to the All-South Region first-team, while the Gamecocks' Sam Arthur was named to the second team. The award was the first such honor for both student-athletes. Maurer paced the Gamecock defense during the 2008 season, collecting a 0.80 goals against average and nine shutouts. He also led the league in shutouts and save percentage. Arthur led the Gamecocks and C-USA with 12 goals and also totaled a league-high 27 points on the year.