SAC Places 16 On Daktronics All-Region Men’s Soccer Team

ROCK HILL, SC - The South Atlantic Conference placed 16 men's soccer players on the Daktronics NCAA Division II Soccer All-Appalachian Region team.

SAC men's soccer Player of the Year Leandro Pereira from Lincoln Memorial continues to receive post-season accolades, as he was named the region Player of the Year. Pereira, a sophomore from Brasilia, Brazil, led the conference in goals per match and points per match. He ranked sixth in Division II in both categories, helping Lincoln Memorial rank as the highest-scoring team in Division II.

The Daktronics NCAA Division II Men's Soccer All-Appalachian Region Team is selected by a vote of the region's sports information directors. The Appalachian Region is comprised of the South Atlantic Conference and the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.

SAC champion Lincoln Memorial had four players named to the All-Region team. Joining Pereira on the first team are defender Felipe Nogueira and midfielder Nelson Pizzaro. Defender Marcelo Galafassi was named to the second team.

Tusculum College's Lucas Paulini, Gareth Williams and Bruno Conceicão were named to the second team.

Paulini, a rookie midfielder from Buenos Aires, Argentina, was named the South Atlantic Conference Freshman of the Year, while also earning All-SAC First Team accolades. Paulini finished second in the league in assists (10) and is second on the squad in scoring (33 points). He also posted seven goals this year.

Williams, a junior midfielder from Wrexham, Wales, recorded six goals and six assists for his 18 total points, which were fourth on the team. Williams also added a match-winning goal in his 18 appearances this season.

Conceicão, a junior from Aruba Dutch Caribbean, leads the Pioneers in scoring with 20 goals, including five in the last two matches of the Food Lion SAC Tournament. He recorded four goals in Tusculum's 6-2 semifinal win over eighth-ranked Wingate. He added another scoring tally in the Pioneers' 3-1 loss to No. 16 Lincoln Memorial in Sunday's SAC Tournament final. He has 44 total points and earned All-SAC First Team recognition while establishing a new school single-season record with eight match-winning goals.

Newberry's Debola Ogunseye and Jovan Rochford both earned Daktronics All-Appalachian Region honors it was announced Monday. Ogunseye earned First Team honors while Rochford earned Second Team honors.

This is the first time in team history that Newberry has placed two players on the All-Region teams. Ogunseye is also the first player in team history to earn All-Region honors twice.

Ogunseye, a junior forward from Lagos, Nigeria, led the Indians this year with 17 goals and 37 points. He also notched the game winning goal in seven of Newberry's nine wins this season, which is tied for the most in the South Atlantic Conference. Ogunseye finishes the year 9th in the country in goals per game and 11th in points per game. He was named First Team All-South Atlantic Conference and SAC Player of the Week on both August 26 and October 16. Ogunseye will advance to the national ballot and will be eligible for the 2007 Daktronics All-American Team.

Rochford, a freshman from Arima, Trinidad, earned Second Team honors in his first season with the Indians. Rochford was a steady force on a Newberry backline that was in constant transition due to injury. He finished the year tied for third on the team in goals with four from his defender position.

Lenoir-Rhyne junior defender Gary Higgins (Paisley, SCOTLAND/St. Andrews Academy) was named to the All-Appalachian Region First Team, while junior midfielder Luis Carrizosa (North Bergen, N.J./North Bergen HS) garnered second-team honors.

Both players also earned All-South Atlantic Conference Honors. Higgins led the team with five goals, while Carrizosa finished first in assists (10) and total points (18).

Higgins' selection to the first team automatically places him on the ballot for Daktronics NCAA Division II All-America voting.

Catawba College senior midfielder, Ryan Villiard (Holiday, FL/Mitchell HS) been named to the First Team 2007 Daktronics All-Appalachian Region Men's Soccer team. He was also named the all-region team last season.

Villiard started all 19 matches for the Indians and led Catawba this season with 16 goals. Three of the goals were game-winners. He added four assists. Over his career, Villiard scored 23 goals with 23 assists.

Carson-Newman goalkeeper Jordan Moore earned second team honors.

Moore, a freshman from Hendersonville, has played in every game for Carson-Newman and saved 63 shots. He compiled a record of 12-3-1 in goal and recorded eight shutouts on the season. He led the South Atlantic Conference in goals against average at 0.72 per game.

Mars Hill's Rondon Bacchus, a 6-0, junior defender from Gonzalez Village, Trinidad was selected to the second team.
Bacchus was a second team All-SAC selection and anchored the Lions' defense the past season. MHC finished the 2007 campaign with a goals allowed average of 1.11 that placed them third in that category in the league.

Wingate University had two selections, as defender Ben Clark and forward Junior Nyemb were named to the second team.

2007 Daktronics NCAA Division II Men's Soccer All-Appalachian Region Team
First Team
GK - Timothy O'Toole, Davis and Elkins
D - Felipe Nogueira, Lincoln Memorial
D - Gary Higgins, Lenoir-Rhyne
D - Matt Fannon, Davis and Elkins
D - Gary Newson, Wheeling Jesuit
MF - Ryan Villiard, Catawba
MF - Nelson Pizzaro, Lincoln Memorial
MF - Kerdyn Moe, Wheeling Jesuit
F - Leandro Pereira, Lincoln Memorial
F - Debola Ogunseye, Newberry
F - Makesi Bostic, Davis and Elkins

Second Team
GK - Jordan Moore, Carson-Newman
D - Ben Clark, Wingate
D - Marcelo Galafassi, Lincoln Memorial
D - Justin Daugherty, Ohio Valley
D - Rondon Bacchus, Mars Hill
D - Jovan Rochford, Newberry
MF - Lucas Paulini, Tusculum
MF - Luis Carrizosa, Lenoir-Rhyne
MF - Nicolas Benavides, West Virginia Wesleyan
MF - Gareth Williams, Tusculum
F - Bruno Conceicão, Tusculum
F - Kyle Regan, Wheeling Jesuit
F - Junior Nyemb, Wingate

Region Player of the Year: Leandro Pereira, Lincoln Memorial