SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Southern Conference men’s soccer regular-season champion Mercer and runner-up Wofford had four first-team all-conference selections each and the Bears took three of the four individual awards in voting of the league’s six head coaches. ETSU’s Joao Ramalho was named the SoCon Player of the Year, while Mercer’s Greg Ranjitsingh was named Goalkeeper of the Year and Will Bagrou was tabbed Freshman of the Year. The Bears’ Brad Ruzzo was selected by his peers as the SoCon Coach of the Year.
The SoCon’s head coaches voted on a pair of all-conference teams, an all-freshman team and the four individual awards. They were not allowed to vote for themselves or their own players. The all-conference first and second teams include 11 players each, voted on by position, while the all-freshman team consists of 11 players with no consideration for positions.
Wofford led all teams with six total all-conference selections, adding a pair of second-team picks to its four first-team selections. Mercer and Furman had five selections each, with the Bears putting one and the Paladins all five on the second team. Mercer, which won the regular-season title in its first season in the SoCon, had a league-best five all-freshman picks.
ETSU’s Ramalho shares the league lead in goals with Mercer’s Bagrou with 11 and is in second in overall points with 24. A two-time SoCon Player of the Week this season, the redshirt sophomore from Monte Santo, Brazil, turned in three game-winning goals this season, notching the decisive goals in wins over VCU, Furman and VMI. Ramalho was named the College Soccer News National Player of the Week on Aug. 31 after scoring four of the Bucs’ five goals in season-opening wins over William & Mary and VCU.
Ramalho becomes ETSU’s first-ever first-team All-SoCon pick, as the Bucs did not have one during their three-year stint in the league from 1980-82.
Bagrou, who earned a first-team All-SoCon nod in addition to Freshman of the Year honors, is the leading scorer in the SoCon with 27 points on 11 goals and five assists. Also a two-time SoCon Player of the Week this year, the Dacula, Ga., forward was named the Top Drawer Soccer and Disney Soccer/NSCAA National Player of the Week on Oct. 28 after leading the Bears to league wins over Wofford and VMI with five goals and an assist in the two games. Bagrou had a SoCon-best four game-winning goals this season, against Georgia Southern, UNC Asheville, Wofford and VMI.
Mercer’s Ranjitsingh has posted a 0.98 goals against average and a SoCon-best .826 save percentage this year, sharing the league lead with nine shutouts, which is tied for seventh-most in a single season in SoCon history. The senior from Pickering, Ontario, Canada, is also second in the SoCon with 90 saves this season, including a career-high 12 in the Bears’ regular-season finale against North Florida.
Ruzzo guided Mercer to the SoCon regular-season title and a bye into the SoCon Championship semifinals in its first year in the league. The Bears enter the SoCon tournament with a 13-6 overall record and went 8-2 in league play, including a 3-0 win over No. 24 Furman on Oct. 11. The 13 overall wins match the program record.
Joining Bagrou and Ranjitsingh on the first team for the Bears were midfielder Jordan Duru and defender Ashani Samuels, while defender Ian Antley was a second-team pick. Mercer’s Bagrou, Airrion Blackstock, Carson Brooks, Thomas Glenn and Trenton Whitely made up nearly half the all-freshman squad.
Wofford was represented on the first team by forward Matthew Aurednik, midfielders Connor Davis and Carlos Dominguez-Gonzalez and defender Forrest Lasso. Terrier forward Nestor Jaramillo and defender Ryan Hurst were second-team picks.
UNCG midfielder Lukas Zarges and defender Aaron Reifschneider rounded out the first team, while the Spartans put Eric Gunnarsson, Moises Gonzalez and William Pyle on the all-freshman team.
Furman dominated the second team with five selections, including forwards Bobby Edet and Lewis Hawke, midfielders Adrian McInnis and Kevin Pahl and goalkeeper Sven Lissek. The Paladins also had a pair of all-freshman selections in Kyle McLagan and Brendan Richardson.
ETSU midfielder Anthony Wojas and defender Nick Muth were second-team selections, while teammate Robin L’Excellent completed the all-freshman team. Ramalho, Wojas and Muth are the Bucs’ first All-SoCon selections since Patrick Beedie was a second-team pick in 1980.
VMI keeper Alex Guerra was a second-team selection at goalkeeper.
Mercer, Wofford, Furman and UNCG – the top four seeds, in order – have advanced to the semifinals of the Southern Conference Men’s Soccer Championship, which will take place at the UNCG Soccer Stadium in Greensboro, N.C., on Thursday, starting at 5 p.m. Both matches will appear live on the SoCon Digital Network. The championship match will take place Saturday at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast live on ESPN3.
2014 Men’s Soccer All-Conference Team
Player of the Year – Joao Ramalho, R-So., F, ETSU
Goalkeeper of the Year – Greg Ranjitsingh, Sr., Mercer
Coach of the Year – Brad Ruzzo, Mercer
Freshman of the Year – Will Bagrou, F, Mercer
First Team
F Joao Ramalho, ETSU
F Will Bagrou, Mercer
F Matthew Aurednik, Wofford
MF Jordan Duru, Mercer
MF Lukas Zarges, UNCG
MF Connor Davis, Wofford
MF Carlos Dominguez-Gonzalez, Wofford
D Ashani Samuels, Mercer
D Aaron Reifschneider, UNCG
D Forrest Lasso, Wofford
GK Greg Ranjitsingh, Mercer
Second Team
F Bobby Edet, Furman
F Lewis Hawke, Furman
F Nestor Jaramillo, Wofford
MF Anthony Wojas, ETSU
MF Adrian McInnis, Furman
MF Kevin Pahl, Furman
D Nick Muth, ETSU
D Ian Antley, Mercer
D Ryan Hurst, Wofford
GK Sven Lissek, Furman
GK Alex Guerra, VMI
All-Freshman Team
Robin L’Excellent, ETSU
Kyle McLagan, Furman
Brendan Richardson, Furman
Will Bagrou, Mercer
Airrion Blackstock, Mercer
Carson Brooks, Mercer
Thomas Glenn, Mercer
Trenton Whitely, Mercer
Moises Gonzalez, UNCG
Eric Gunnarsson, UNCG
William Pyle, UNCG
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