Five League men's soccer players named to NSCAA Scholar All-North/Central Region Teams
Dec. 7, 2006
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Mission, Kan. -- Horizon League men's soccer teams succeeded on many levels, both on the field and in the classroom, during the 2006 season. The National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) recognized the League's achievements this week with five honorees on its Scholar All-North/Central Region Team, sponsored by adidas.
Senior defender Derek Kosek of the University of Illinois at Chicago joined fellow First-Team All-League honorees Billy Meier of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Jason Massoglia of the University of Detroit Mercy on the coaches' top academic honor roll. UWM's Steve Bode and Steve Sperl were named to the Second Team.
Kosek helped the Flames to the regular-season League championship, bolstering a defensive unit which led the nation by posting a 0.36 goals-against average on the way to a 13-3-5 overall record. UIC advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship with a 3-0 victory over Western Illinois University in the opening round, marking the Flames' single-season-record 13th shutout of the season. UIC, which spent most of the season ranked among the nation's top 25 teams, did not allow more than one goal in any match this year. Kosek also maintained a 3.53 grade-point average as an elementary education major.
Meier was the League's Defensive Player of the Year, anchoring a Panther unit that posted six shutouts and a 1.07 goals-against average on the way to a 8-9-1 record. UW-Milwaukee tied for third place in the loop standings with a 4-2-1 League ledger, aided by Meier's efforts which garnered First-Team All-League recognition in 2006. He also tied for second place on the team charts with three goals (two match-winners) and added two assists for eight points. Meier, who earned Second-Team Academic All-America recognition from the College Sports Information Directors of America last week, owns a 3.79 GPA in his studies as a business major.
Massoglia led the Titans' defense but also finished fourth in the League in scoring with 18 points this season, netting a team-high seven goals with four assists. The veteran backliner finished his career tied for sixth place on the all-time Titan list with 23 career goals and also finished tied for 12th place in UDM annals with 50 career points. Massoglia was named to the All-Horizon League First Team in each of the last two seasons, claiming the Horizon League Defender of the Year award in 2005. Massoglia boasts a 3.59 GPA as an accounting major.
The NSCAA also recognized Meier (First-Team) and Massoglia (Second-Team) last week for their accomplishments on the field, naming the seniors on its All-Great Lakes Region teams.
Bode was one of four juniors on the Second-Team unit, earning the recognition after helping the Panthers compile a 1.07 goals-against average with six shutouts in 2006. Sperl collected three goals and two assists this season, joining Bode on the Second-Team All-League rolls. Bode's carries a 3.57 grade-point average as a psychology major, while Sperl's work as an education major includes a 3.41 GPA.The First-Team Scholar All-North/Central Region unit includes Bradley University senior forward Zack Bell along with senior midfielders John DiRaimondo of Saint Louis University and Kosuke Kimura of Western Illinois. The defense features Saint Louis senior Dan Guffey along with Drake University senior Blake Siberz, University of Wisconsin-Parkside senior Greg Walasek and Concordia (Wis.) College senior Travis Moulton in front of senior goalkeeper Austin Person of North Park University.
The NSCAA recognizes academic teams from the North/Central, West, East and South regions. Players named to the First-Team Scholar All-Region teams are placed on the national ballot, with the NSCAA/adidas Scholar All-America team announced next week. The NSCAA awards are considered among the most prestigious in the sport. The organization is unique in its selection process, putting all colleges and universities (NCAA Divisions I, II and III plus NAIA) into one group rather than recognizing separate teams for each level.
To be eligible for NSCAA Scholar All-Region honors, student-athletes must maintain a grade-point average of 3.30 (on a 4.00 scale) or higher with junior or higher status academically, and start more than 50 percent of the team's matches and be a significant contributor.
The teams can be found in the PDF version of this release.
