Horizon League players honored on NSCAA's All-Great Lakes Region men's soccer teams

Nov. 30, 2006

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Indianapolis, Ind. -- For the Horizon League, the 2006 men's soccer season was a success in many regards. After sending two teams to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in five years, the League added another feather to its cap Thursday (Nov. 30) when the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) announced 12 League players among its All-Great Lakes Region teams.

Regular-season League champion University of Illinois at Chicago led the way with four players---more than any other school in the region---while Loyola University Chicago's League Championship team and the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay each garnered two selections. Butler University, the University of Detroit Mercy, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Wright State University boasted one honoree apiece.

Freshman goalkeeper Jovan Bubonja and senior forward Tonci Skroce represented UIC on the First-Team unit, joining UW-Green Bay senior forward Joshua Okoampa and UW-Milwaukee senior defender Billy Meier on that 12-player group (following a tie in the voting). Skroce was the League's Player of the Year after netting seven goals and seven assists while leading the Flames to their first loop title since 2000. UIC reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament while posting a 13-3-5 record and was ranked among the nation's top 25 teams for most of the season.

Bubonja, the lone underclassman on the top list, posted a school-record ten shutouts for UIC this fall, leading a defense which led the nation with a 0.36 goals-against average to claim the League's Goalkeeper of the Year honor. Okoampa earned League Offensive Player of the Year recognition for his League-high totals of 14 goals and 34 points in leading the Phoenix to a 14-6-0 record and the final match of the League Championship, while Meier's efforts on the UW-Milwaukee back line gained the circuit's Defensive Player of the Year award.

The rest of the First Team includes University of Notre Dame teammates in midfielder Gregory Dalby and forward Joseph Lapira, along with forward Omar Cummings of the University of Cincinnati, and midfielders Sinisa Ubiparipovic from the University of Akron, Josh Tudela of Indiana University and David Roth of Northwestern University. Defenders Aaron Hohlbein of the University of Wisconsin and Eric Brunner from Ohio State University rounded out the top unit.

The Horizon League provided six of the 11 Second-Team honorees, with junior defender Iradj Farahmand and junior midfielder Keum Sung Kim representing Loyola. Kim tied for the League lead with eight assists and scored the match-winning goal in the League Championship final to put Loyola into the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history by defeating UW-Green Bay, 1-0. Loyola finished the year at 11-8-2 overall after winning its first-ever League title.

UIC also had two Second-Team selections in junior midfielder Pavle Dundjer and junior forward Cesar Zambrano, with Detroit senior defender Jason Massoglia and UW-Green Bay junior midfielder Daniel O'Brien also on that list. Butler senior midfielder John DeVae and Wright State freshman forward Braden Fleak earned Third-Team honors. Fleak, tabbed as the League's Newcomer of the Year after scoring 13 goals in his debut campaign, was the only freshman other than Bubonja named to the All-Region teams.

The 12 All-Region picks are double the number the League received in 2005, with none of those six players gaining First-Team acclaim. Okoampa and Dundjer were both Second-Team choices last fall. The four First-Team honorees are eligible for All-America consideration, joining the top players from the other seven regions on the NSCAA's national ballot. The coaches' association will announce its All-America selections next week.

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National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-Great Lakes Region Men's Soccer Teams

First-Team
Pos. * Name * School * Yr. * Hometown
GK * Jovan Bubonja * UIC * Fr. * Belgrade, Serbia
D * Aaron Hohlbein * Wisconsin * Sr. * Middleton, Wis.
D * Billy Meier * UW-Milwaukee * Sr. * Racine, Wis.
D * Eric Brunner * Ohio State * Jr. * Dublin, Ohio
M * Gregory Dalby * Notre Dame * Sr. * Poway, Calif.
M * Sinisa Ubiparipovic * Akron * Sr. * Mentor, Ohio
M * Josh Tudela * Indiana * Sr. * Evansville, Ind.
M * David Roth * Northwestern * Jr. * St. Louis, Mo.
F * Omar Cummings * Cincinnati * Sr. * Old Harbour, Jamaica
F * Joseph Lapira * Notre Dame * Jr. * Lake Charles, Calif.
F * Tonci Skroce * UIC * Sr. * Zadar, Croatia
F * Joshua Okoampa * UW-Green Bay * Sr. * Brooklyn Park, Minn.

Second-Team
Pos. * Name * School * Yr. * Hometown
GK * Conrad Taylor * Penn State * Jr. * Colorado Springs, Colo.
D * Iradj Farahmand * Loyola * Jr. * Northbrook, Ill.
D * Jason Massoglia * Detroit * Sr. * Troy, Mich.
D * Greg Janicki * Michigan * Sr. * New Baltimore, Mich.
M * Daniel O'Brien * UW-Green Bay * Jr. * Shoreview, Minn.
M * Pavle Dundjer * UIC * Jr. * Belgrade, Serbia
M * Keum Sung Kim * Loyola * Jr. * Arlington Heights, Ill.
F * Xavier Balc * Ohio State * Jr. * Hudson, Ohio
F * Simon Omekanda * Penn State * Sr. * Rochester Hills, Mich.
F * Bradley North * Northwestern * Sr. * The Woodlands, Texas
F * Cesar Zambrano * UIC * Jr. * Chicago, Ill.

Third-Team
Pos. * Name * School * Yr. * Hometown
GK * Daniel Bell * Buffalo * Sr. * Brampton, Ontario
D * Amir Ikner * Cincinnati * Jr. * Olathe, Kan.
D * Jonathan McClain * Akron * Sr. * Huber Heights, Ohio
D * Matthew Besler * Notre Dame * So. * Overland Park, Kan.
M * David Guzman * Louisville * Jr. * Toronto, Ontario
M * John Michael Hayden * Indiana * Sr. * Louisville, Ky.
M * John DeVae * Butler * Sr. * Chicago, Ill.
F * Braden Fleak * Wright State * Fr. * Sunbury, Ohio
F * Marcus McCarty * Northern Illinois * Jr. * Fort Worth, Texas
F * Andrae Clarke * Buffalo * Sr. * Kingston, Jamaica
F * Kenny Anaba * Cincinnati * Jr. * Westerville, Ohio