LMU’s Pinto Headlines SAC’s Men’s Soccer All-Region Selections
Lincoln Memorial forward Mario Pinto has been named the 2012 Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year, leading a group of nine players from the SAC that earned All-Region honors, it was announced Monday.
BANNER ELK, N.C. – Lincoln Memorial forward Mario Pinto has been named the 2012 Daktronics Southeast Region Player of the Year, leading a group of nine players from the SAC that earned All-Region honors, it was announced Monday.
Pinto – also a member of the All-Region First Team – led the SAC with 21 goals this season en route to earning the conference's Player of the Year award. His 21 goals are currently tied for second in Division II.
Pinto also added five assists on the season in leading LMU to a 13-4-1 overall record.
Mars Hill, the 2012 SAC regular-season champion, led the conference with five players selected to the All-Region Team. Earning first-team honors for the Lions were forward Stephen Bivens and midfielder Alex Mullen, while keeper Zac Scott, forward Felipe Ferraro and forward Shadi Harb were selected to the Second Team.
Bivens and Mullen ranked second and third, respectively, in goals in the SAC this season, while Ferraro and Mullen ranked second and third in assists. Scott led the league and ranked fourth in Division II with a .845 save percentage.
Wingate had two players named to the All-Region Team, including first-team pick Corey McCollum, who helped anchor the Bulldogs' defense. WU midfielder Gui Andrade was named to the Second Team.
Andrade finished with two goals and five assists for Wingate, which advanced to the NCAA Division II Men's Soccer Championship Elite Eight before being eliminated by Lynn.
Anderson defender Lars Zimmerman was a second-team selection as well after helping lead the Trojans' late-season surge, which culminated by winning the 2012 Food Lion SAC Championship title.
[Complete Daktronics Men's Soccer All-Southeast Region Team]