Men's Soccer Southern Conference

Davidson Men's Soccer Coach Named South Region Coach of the Year

DAVIDSON, N.C. - The National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced today that Davidson men's soccer head coach Matt Spear was
named the 2003 NSCAA/adidas South Region Coach of the Year. Spear is the second Davidson coach to receive the honor as his predecessor, Charlie
Slagle, earned the award in 1990 and 1992.

"It's an honor to be recognized by my coaching peers," Spear said. "I am a young coach who has learned a lot from the coaches in the South Region
- both as a former player in the region and a current coach. I share this award with my staff - Rafe Mauran, Craig Conger and most importantly, Todd Herman. Todd is a huge part of our continuing success.

"And of course, it is the players on the team that earn this recognition by their level of play, daily dedication to excellence and stellar
winning season," Spear added. "They inspire me to be a better coach."

Spear has been at the helm of Davidson soccer for three years now and every season the Wildcats have posted winning records. The 2003 season
was the best yet by a Spear-coached team as the Wildcats posted a 15-6-2 record and earned a berth in the NCAA Tournament. Spear led Davidson to its first outright Southern Conference regular season title since 1971 and its first SoCon Tournament crown since 1995. Spear was also named
the league's Coach of the Year.

"Matt's leadership, coupled with his intensity and focus, has proven to be the catalyst for a group of young men with a will to succeed,"
commented Davidson Director of Athletics Jim Murphy. "His well-deserved recognition as South Region Coach of the Year is another great honor in
a season everyone at Davidson is very proud of."

The 'Cats broke several individual and team school records this season, including a new mark for shutouts in a season with 10. Davidson's 15
victories were tied for the second most in school history, and were the most by a Wildcat team since the 1992 team recorded 17. Junior
goalkeeper Bart Creasman posted a 0.76 goals against average, the best-ever single-season GAA by a 'Cat. After scoring three goals in
three games at the conference tournament, senior forward Nick Hansell was honored as the tournament MVP, Davidson's first since 1995.

"Coach Spear has helped our program arrive where it is now by coming to practice everyday striving to be better than yesterday," said senior
co-captain Justin Porter. "With a coach who is so focused on getting the best out of his players, it is easy to see the motivation in our eyes.
He has done a great job recruiting players to fit into the team, on and off the field. It really allows us to achieve a camaraderie that helps
us reach towards otherwise difficult goals."

Spear (Davidson '93) was a four-year starter for the Wildcats, serving as a team captain in 1992 when the 'Cats made their memorable run to the
College Cup.

The Regional Coach of the Year award is given annually to a coach from one of the 29 schools in the South Region. North Carolina, Wake Forest
and South Carolina are among the schools in the region.