University of Connecticut Athletics
Four Huskies Earn Spots On All-Conference Squads
11/12/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
.@kayawuah is the 2015 @American_MSoc Co-Midfielder of the Year! Congrats, Kwame! #EveryGameMatters pic.twitter.com/Rav58hhBow
- UConn Men's Soccer (@UConnMSOC) November 13, 2015
TAMPA, Fla. - After finishing the regular season unbeaten in their last five matches and earning the No. 3 seed in the American Athletic Conference tournament, four UConn men's soccer players were honored on league All-Conference teams, as announced on Thursday night.
Junior co-captain Kwame Awuah headlined the group, earning distinction as The American's Co-Midfielder of the Year and also grabbing a spot on the All-Conference First Team, while fellow captain Jake Nerwinski also earned First Team honors. Freshman forward Abdou Mbacke Thiam was placed both the Second Team and All-Rookie Team, while freshman centerback Simen Olafsen was selected an All-Rookie team member.
With Awuah's accolade, UConn has now boasted the league's Midfielder of the Year in three-straight seasons. The junior is one of six players to have started in all 18 games and is 15th in the country with nine total assists. His 11 total points rank second on the squad and he picked up his first goal of the season in the Huskies' 1-0 win over Yale on Oct. 27 at Joseph J. Morrone Stadium.
Nerwinski has earned a starting nod in all 18 games for the Huskies, tallying six points on one goal and four assists. His four helpers are tied for ninth best in the league and he has helped the Connecticut defense to a conference-best 0.72 goals against average and seven shutouts.
Thiam has burst onto the scene in his first collegiate season, ranking second in The American and 22nd nationally with 10 goals. The freshman has recorded three multi-goal games, including two in the Huskies' 4-0 win over Temple in the conference quarterfinals on Nov. 7. Four of his 10 goals have been game-winners and he was selected as the league's Rookie of the Week on four occasions throughout the regular season.
Olafsen has anchored UConn's defense from his centerback position, helping the squad to seven shutouts, including three in the last five matches. He is a three-time conference Defensive Player of the Week winner.
"Congratulations to Jake and Kwame on their First Team selections," said 19th-year head coach Ray Reid. "I thought we had a lot of guys who could've earned recognition from the league. It's great to see Abdou and Simen earn All-Rookie team honors as it shows how strong our program really is."
The Huskies return to the pitch on Friday, Nov. 13 when they take on second-seeded USF in an American Athletic Conference Semifinal at Corbett Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. and will be broadcasted by The American Digital Network. For a complete match preview, please CLICK HERE.
2015 American Men's Soccer Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Mauro Cichero, SMU
Defensive Player of the Year
Bradley Bourgeois, Tulsa
Midfielder of the Year
Kwame Awuah, UConn
John Lujano, SMU
Goalkeeper of the Year
Michael Nelson, SMU
Rookie of the Year
Juan Sebastian Sanchez, Tulsa
Coaching Staff of the Year
SMU
Team Fair Play Award
UConn
First Team All-Conference
Hadji Barry, F, Sr., UCF
Kwame Awuah, M, Jr., UConn
Jake Nerwinski, B, Jr., UConn
Raul Gonzalez, M, Jr., Memphis
Nazeem Bartman, F, Jr., USF
*Brendan Hines-Ike, B, Sr., USF
Lindo Mfeka, M, Jr., USF
*Mauro Cichero, F, So., SMU
John Lujano, M, Sr., SMU
Michael Nelson, GK, R-So., SMU
Bradley Bourgeois, B, Sr., Tulsa
Second Team All-Conference
Emmanuel Appiah, M, R-Sr., Cincinnati
Alejandro Garcia, M, Sr., Cincinnati
John Manga, F, Sr., Cincinnati
Abdou Mbacke Thiam, F, Fr., UConn
Marcus Epps, M, Jr., USF
Spasoje Stefanovic, GK, Jr., USF
Jordan Cano, B, So., SMU
Carlos Moros Gracia, B, Temple
Jorge Gomez Sanchez, F, Temple
Geoffrey Dee, M, So., Tulsa
Jake McGuire, GK, Jr., Tulsa
Juan Sebastian Sanchez, F, Fr., Tulsa
All-Rookie Team
*Jakov Basic, B, UCF
*Adam Wilson, M, Cincinnati
*Abdou Mbacke Thiam, F, UConn
Simen Olafsen, B, UConn
Mason Morise, M, Memphis
Prosper Morise, B, USF
Christian Boorom, F, SMU
Emil Cuello, M, SMU
Caleb Smith, M, SMU
Belal Mohamed, M, Temple
Lesley Nchanji, M, Temple
Juan Sebastian Sanchez, F, Tulsa
