Men's Soccer Dominates C-USA Postseason Awards

[PonyPride]

From SMUMustangs.com:

Men's Soccer Dominates C-USA Postseason Awards
SMU Scores Near Sweep Of Honors

Nov. 9, 2010

IRVING, Texas (SMU) - Following a dominant regular season, the SMU men's soccer team opened the awards season in dominant fashion, scoring a near sweep of the Conference USA post-season awards.

Junior Arthur Ivo was named Co-MVP and Co-Offensive Player of the year, freshman Juan Castillo was named Freshman of the Year and head coach Tim McClements was named Coach of the Year just to name a few of the honors.

McClements, currently in his third season at SMU, has led the Mustangs to a No. 5 national ranking, a Conference USA regular season championship and a 15-0-1 (7-1-0 C-USA) record. The Coach of the Year honor is McClements' first at SMU and second of his career. In 2005, he was named Missouri Valley Coach of the Year while at Vanderbilt.

Along with Co-MVP and Co-Offensive Player accolades, Ivo was also named to the All-Conference USA first team. He is second on the team in goals (7), tied for second in assists (4) and is third in points (18). Eleven of Ivo's points came in conference play, ranking him second in league scoring. The junior converted two penalty kicks, including the double-overtime game-winner against then-No. 16 Creighton. Ivo twice received Conference USA Player of the Week accolades and was named the NSCAA National Player of the Week Oct. 18-24. Ivo was named to the Conference USA All-Freshman team in 2008.

In addition to Freshman of the Year honors, Castillo made the All-Conference USA Second Team and the All-Freshman team. He leads the Mustangs in goals (9), points (22) and game-winning goals (4). His goals scored are tied for a conference best and his points rank him second among all scorers in C-USA. The freshman posted a six-game goal-scoring streak Sept. 6-24, including three consecutive game-winners Sept. 6-12. Castillo received two Conference USA Player of the Week awards and was named the NSCAA National Player of the Week Sept. 13-19.

Joining Castillo on the All-Conference Second team is midfielder Josue Soto, midfielder Kekoa Osorio and defender Leone Cruz.

Soto leads the Mustangs in assists (7), is second in points (19) and third in goals (6). The senior had a five-game point-scoring streak (3 goals, 3 assists) Sept. 19-Oct. 6. Soto tallied the game-winner against then No. 20 South Carolina on a penalty kick. He also netted game-clinchers at UAB and against Kentucky.

Osorio has helped lead the Mustang defense against some of the top teams in the country, as SMU went 3-0 against Top-25 squads. The senior also earned an assist on Ivo's game-winner against South Carolina. Osorio was selected Third Team All-Conference in 2009 and Second Team in 2008.

Cruz has been solid on the back line for SMU, while also contributing offensively. He collected and goal and an assist Memphis, and tallied helpers against SIU-Edwardsville and Jacksonville. Cruz was named Second team All-Conference in 2008 and was named to the All-Freshman team in 2006.

Zach Barnes and Robbie Derschang, along with Castillo, rounded out the All-Freshman team.

Barnes tallied five goals on the season, two of which were game-winners. His first goal came on a 30 yard header in his first collegiate game. Barnes netted the overtime game-winner against Marshall, with the Mustangs down a man due to a red card. The freshman has received a Conference USA Player of the Week honor.

Derschang was fourth on the team in scoring, collecting 13 points (5 goals, 3 assists) on the season. The freshman scored two goals, including the game-winner, less than three minutes apart against Bradley en route to an SMU victory. He also tallied the game-winner against then No. 17 Tulsa.

2010 C-USA MEN'S SOCCER AWARDS

Co-Most Valuable Players
Arthur Ivo, SMU
Blake Brettschneider, South Carolina

Co-Offensive Players of the Year
Arthur Ivo, SMU
Blake Brettschneider, South Carolina

Defensive Player of the Year
Daniel Withrow, Marshall

Freshman of the Year
Juan Castillo, SMU

Coach of the Year
Tim McClements, SMU

All-Conference First Team
F: Blake Brettschneider, South Carolina
F: Nik Robson, UCF
MF: Arthur Ivo, SMU
MF: Ashley McInnes, Tulsa
MF: Warren Creavalle, UCF
D: Will Traynor, South Carolina
D: Justin Chavez, Tulsa
D: Hunter Christiansen, Tulsa
D: Curtis Ushedo, UAB
D: Kevan George, UCF
GK: Daniel Withrow, Marshall

All-Conference Second Team
F: Juan Castillo, SMU
F: Babayele Sodade, UAB
MF: Matt Lodge, Kentucky
MF: Josue Soto, SMU
MF: Kekoa Osorio, SMU
D: Leone Cruz, SMU
D: Anthony Hobbs, FIU
D: Dylan Asher, Kentucky
D: Jordan Hilgefort, Marshall
D: Yaron Bacher, UCF
GK: Jimmy Maurer, South Carolina

All-Conference Third Team
F: Michael Muehseler, FIU
F: Tyler Riggs, Kentucky
F: Tom Jackson, Marshall
F: Bradlee Baladez, South Carolina
F: Austin Neil, Tulsa
F: Kofi Gyawu, UAB
MF: Sammy Boateng, Marshall
MF: Michal Mravec, UAB
D: Nicholas Chase, FIU
D: Kendall Sutton, Marshall
D: Chris Taylor, Tulsa
GK: Tyler Beadle, Kentucky
GK: Carl Woszczynski, UAB
GK: Shawn Doyle, UCF

All-Freshman Team
Zach Barnes, M, SMU
Juan Castillo, F, SMU
Robbie Derschang, M, SMU
Nicholas Rodriguez-Fraile, F, FIU
Dylan Asher, D, Kentucky
Tyler Beadle, GK, Kentucky
Travis Brent, D, Marshall
Anthony Virgara, M, Marshall
Bradlee Baladez, F, South Carolina
Chipper Root, M, South Carolina
Omar Mata, M, Tulsa
Steven Lamberta, M, UCF

[DanFreibergerForHeisman]

Nice! All well-deserved...