Five Men's Soccer Players Named To All-C-USA Teams

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Five Players Named To All-C-USA Teams
Saintus Named First-Team All-League

Nov. 12, 2009

IRVING, Texas (SMU) - Five SMU Men's Soccer Players were honored by Conference USA on Friday with all-league selections. Midfielder Dane Saintus was named First Team All-Conference USA after scoring eight goals and assisting on five others during the regular season. Midfielders Payton Hickey and Kekoa Osorio and defenders Ian Kalis and T.J. Nelson were also honored by the league.

Saintus was named First Team All-C-USA after finishing the regular season in a tie for second among C-USA players with eight goals. Saintus finished the regular season ranked fourth in C-USA with five assists. On September 30, Saintus scored a hat trick against Centenary, the first for SMU since Duke Hashimoto performed the feat against Yale on September 24, 2004.

Payton Hickey was named to the Second Team All-Conference USA, his first league honor. Hickey moved to the midfield this season, and led Conference USA during the regular season with nine assists, and ranks seventh in the nation in assists per game.

Kekoa Osorio and Ian Kalis were Third Team All-Conference USA selections. Osorio was the only player to start every game this season, and played the second-most minutes on the team. Osorio added a goal and an assist from the defensive midfield spot.

Left back Ian Kalis played in 13 games for the Mustangs, and was only substituted for twice during the season, once due to injury. Kalis played 1134 minutes on defense for SMU, and added an assist at South Carolina.

Right back T.J. Nelson was named to the C-USA All-Freshman team. Nelson played in 12 games and started nine, after missing a portion of the season due to injury. Nelson registered an assist against Seattle and played 894 minutes this season.