C-USA honors Guarda, Needham, Hyndman

[PonyPride]

MEN’S SOCCER ALL-CONFERENCE USA AWARDS ANNOUNCED

Guarda, Needham, Scannella and Walsh Take Top Individual Awards

IRVING, Texas – Conference USA announced its 2006 all-conference first, second and third teams and postseason award winners for men’s soccer today, as selected by the conference’s head coaches. The awards are announced one day before the start of the 12th Annual C-USA Championship, which is scheduled for Wednesday through Sunday, Nov. 1-5, at the Hurricane Soccer and Track Stadium on the campus of The University of Tulsa.

SMU earned the regular season title, finishing the season with a 15-1-3 record and a 5-1-2 mark in Conference USA play. Sophomore midfielder BRUNO GUARDA scored four goals for the Mustangs, all in conference games, and was named the C-USA Player of the Year. Guarda earned a spot on the All-Conference USA first team, along with teammates CHASE WILEMAN, MYNOR GONZALEZ, JAY NEEDHAM and goalkeeper MATT WIDEMAN. Needham also picked up C-USA Defensive Player of the Year honors after earning a preseason nod for the same award and a spot on the prestigious Hermann Trophy watch list.

For the second year in a row, South Carolina has produced the C-USA Freshman of the Year winner as midfielder JEFF SCANNELLA takes the 2006 honor. Scannella started every match for the Gamecocks as they posted an 11-4-1 overall record and ranked as high as No. 6 nationally this season. He was also named to the All-Conference USA third team.

Memphis midfielder KEVIN WALSH was named the C-USA Newcomer of the Year. Walsh led the Tigers scoring attack, and ranked third in the league, with 27 points. His 10 goals and seven assists also rank third in C-USA for both categories to earn him the individual honor, as well as a spot on the All-Conference USA second team.

SMU head coach SCHELLAS HYNDMAN was named the C-USA Coach of the Year after leading the Mustangs to the top spot in the country most of the season.

Besides SMU’s five selections to the All-Conference USA first team, Kentucky, South Carolina and UAB each had three first-team selections. The Wildcats were represented by forward RILEY O’NEILL, who enters the C-USA Championship with a league-best 33 overall points, and midfielder MIKE D’AGOTINO. South Carolina senior forward MIKE SAMBURSKY was a repeat first-team selection, while teammate RYAN LEETON moved up to the first team after earning third-team honors in 2005. UAB senior forward JERSON MONTEIRO, who led C-USA with 15 points in conference games only, and DEJAN JAKOVIC were the Blazers representatives on the All-Conference USA first team.

2006 C-USA MEN’S SOCCER AWARDS



Player of the Year
Bruno Guarda, MF, SMU

Defensive Player of the Year
Jay Needham, D, SMU

Freshman of the Year
Jeff Scannella, MF, South Carolina

Newcomer of the Year
Kevin Walsh, MF, Memphis

Coach of the Year
Schellas Hyndman, SMU

All-Conference First Team
F: Jerson Monteiro, UAB
F: Riley O’Neill, Kentucky
F: Mike Sambursky, South Carolina
MF: Mike D’Agostino, Kentucky
MF: Bruno Guarda, SMU
MF: Dejan Jakovic, UAB
MF: Chase Wileman, SMU
D: Mynor Gonzalez, SMU
D: Ryan Leeton, South Carolina
D: Jay Needham, SMU
GK: Matt Wideman, SMU

All-Conference Second Team
F: Zak Boggs, UCF
F: Adrian Chevannes, SMU
F: David Hope, Florida International
F: Jose Parada, Tulsa
MF: Two-Boys Gumede, UAB
MF: Ralph Pace, South Carolina
MF: Matt Thomas, Tulsa
MF: Kevin Walsh, Memphis
D: Makan Hislop, South Carolina
D: Jeff Lenix, Marshall
D: Nathan Marks, Kentucky
GK: Mike Gustavson, South Carolina

All-Conference Third Team
F: Ayo Akinsete, South Carolina
F: Karim Boukhemis, Marshall
F: Eric Burkholder, Tulsa
MF: Dadi Kristjánsson, Florida International
MF: Jeff Scannella, South Carolina
MF: Ben Shuleva, SMU
MF: Masumi Turnbull, Kentucky
D: Chris Clements, Tulsa
D: Jamie Gilbert, Memphis
D: Ryan Mirsky, SMU
GK: Dan Williams, Kentucky

All-Freshman Team
Christian Caporaletti, F/MF, Florida International
Barry Rice, D, Kentucky
Dan Williams, GK, Kentucky
Leone Cruz, D, SMU
Stephen Grant, D, SMU
Jeff Scannella, MF, South Carolina
Mark Wiltse, MF/D, South Carolina
Hunter Christiansen, MF, Tulsa
Jose Parada, MF/F, Tulsa
Akin Akinrinade, D, UCF
Cam Jordan, MF, UCF

[Dark Horse]

Congratulations to all of the Ponies (including Coach Hyndman) who were honored by C-USA. Very well deserved.

I have a question, and don't want to sound bad about this ... I'm a huge Jay Needham fan, but how did Matt Wildman NOT win the Defensive Player of the Year award?