KANSAS CITY, Kan. –
Ten Southern Conference student-athletes of have earned spots on the NSCAA
All-South Region teams, announced by the organization this week.
Elon forward Chris Thomas, Furman forward Coleton Henning,
Furman defender Walker Zimmerman and Wofford midfielder Alex Hutchins were all
first-team selections.
College of Charleston midfielder Sean de Silva, Elon
midfielder Gabe Latigue and Furman midfielder Martin Ontiveros were second-team
picks. College of Charleston defender Daan Brinkman, Elon midfielder Daniel
Lovitz and UNCG forward Hakan Ilhan were third-team selections.
First Team
Chris Thomas, Sr., F,
Elon
Coming off arguably the most prolific scoring season in Elon men’s soccer
history, Thomas adds to his laundry list of 2012 individual accolades with the
second first-team All-South selection of his career. Thomas was recently named
a NSCAA third-team All-American and was a MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalist after
leading the nation in goals with 23 and in total points with 51. He earned the
Southern Conference’s Player of the Year and league first-team honors. He
became the program’s all-time goal and point scorer this year and had nine
game-winners on the season, including three against ranked competition and two
more in the SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship tournament to earn All-Tournament
honors.
Coleton Henning, Sr.,
F, Furman
Henning, a native of Shawnee, Kan., and the 2011 SoCon Player of the Year,
was named to the All-SoCon First Team for the third time in his Paladin career
this past season after netting eight goals in 17 matches. The
forward/midfielder, who finished his five-year run at Furman with 24 goals and
12 assists, became the first three-time first team selection for Furman since
Jon Leathers accomplished the feat in 2007. He was recently selected to attend
the 2013 adidas MLS Player Combine in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., in January.
Walker Zimmerman,
So., D, Furman
Zimmerman scored six goals and added three assists while guiding the
Paladins to a 12-4-3 record during the 2012 season. The 6-foot-3 center back
netted the game-winning goal in a 2-1 victory over Florida International and
led Furman to a 3-2 come-from-behind victory against Clemson with a game-tying
goal in the second half. He earned All-America honors from the NSCAA and
College Soccer News and was a member of Top Drawer Soccer's Team of the Season.
A native of Lawrenceville, Ga., the two-time All-SoCon pick has been a regular
starter for the United States U-20 National Team during 2012 and is expected to
battle for a spot in the starting 11 at the U-20's begin World Cup qualifying
in February. Zimmerman is expected to enter the MLS SuperDraft in January and
was tabbed as the potential No. 1 pick in Top Drawer Soccer's Mock Draft last
month.
Alex Hutchins, Sr.,
MF, Wofford
Hutchins, a senior from Knoxville, Tennessee, started all 21 games for the
Terriers this season and led the team in points and goals. He was selected first-team All-Southern Conference
after receiving second-team honors last season. His 13 goals tied for third
all-time in a single season in school history and his 28 points were good for
fourth. In Wofford’s Division I era, he ranks first in career goals, career
points, goals in a season and points in a season. Earlier this offseason,
Hutchins was named to the CoSIDA Capital One Academic All-American third team. He
is the 10th Wofford player to earn all-region honors and the first since 1994.
Second Team
Sean de Silva, Sr.,
MF, College of Charleston
De Silva was a consistent figure in the Cougars' scoring attack, starting
all 19 matches. The senior from Port-of-Spain, Trinidad, posted team highs in
goals and assists with seven and five, respectively. He was named the SoCon
player of the week on Oct. 23 after scoring six points on two goals and twoassists
in helping the Cougars to a 2-0 week and the top of the SoCon standings.
Gabe Latigue, Sr.,
MF, Elon
Latigue was a standout for the Phoenix throughout the year, finishing third
on the team in goals and second in assists. The Apex, N.C., native had two
goals in the SoCon Men’s Soccer Championship tournament, including the game-winner
in the championship game versus Wofford, and was named the Most Outstanding
Player of the tournament. Latigue also scored the lone goal and game-winner
against Appalachian State on Oct. 20 and had a season-high two goals against
Campbell on Sept. 1. Latgiue was named to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the
Week on Nov. 11 and was a second-team All-SoCon selection this season. This is
his first All-South region award of his career.
Martin Ontiveros,
Jr., MF, Furman
A second-year Paladin, Ontiveros ranked among the league leaders with eight
goals and nine assists in 19 matches. The midfielder and 2011 second team
All-SoCon pick netted winners against Gardner-Webb and North Florida while
proving to be one of the league's most dangerous threats on set pieces by
scoring on free kicks and assisting on several goals off of corner kicks.
Third Team
Daan Brinkman, So.,
D, College of Charleston
Brinkman started in all 19 matches the Cougars played and was an excellent
outside defender for CofC. Brinkman also got involved in the Cougars' offense,
providing one goal and one assist on the year, and was a constant threat up and
down the right wing. He helped the Cougars post five shutouts on the season.
Daniel Lovitz, Jr.,
MF, Elon
Lovitz earned All-South Region accolades for the first time in his career.
The midfielder from Wyndmoor, Pa., started all 22 games for the Phoenix and
scored three goals with two assists and was named to the All-Tournament team in
the SoCon Men’s Soccer Championships. Lovitz scored two goals against Belmont,
including a penalty kick, in Elon’s 4-2 win over the Bruins.
Hakan Ilhan, Sr., F,
UNCG
Ilhan has picked up all-region accolades after all three of his seasons at
UNCG with a pair of third-team honors (2011, 2012) as well as a second-team
honor in 2010. He becomes the 12th Spartan all-time to earn all-region honors
three times in a career and the first since Jokull Elisabetarson accomplished
the feat from 2006-08. Ilhan earned first-team All-Southern Conference honors
for the third time in his career this season after leading the team and ranking
four in the league in scoring with 21 points. He scored a team-high seven goals
while also dishing out seven assists on the year.