Six Cougars Earn All-CAA Honors
11/12/2015 11:03:00 PM | Men's Soccer
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The College of Charleston men's soccer team had six players named to Colonial Athletic Association teams in voting conducted by the league's coaches.
“I'm very proud of the Cougars who have been recognized on the all-conference teams,” said head coach Ralph Lundy. “It's an indication of what tremendous season we had and these players recognized were so instrumental to that success. We will be returning five of these six players as well as return some guys from injury so 2016 looks very bright for College of Charleston Soccer.”
Junior goalkeeper Kevin Shields earned a spot on the All-CAA First-Team while junior forward Nico Rittmeyer and sophomore defender Cesar Murillo received Second-Team notice. Sophomore defender Leland Archer was tabbed to the All-CAA Third-Team while senior Tucker Coons earned All-Academic Team recognition.
Shields becomes the first All-CAA First Team selection for the Cougars since joining the CAA in 2013. Despite not starting the first four games of the season, Kevin finished second in the CAA in saves (61), saves per game (4.69), and save percentage (.803). The Ponte Vedra, Fla. native tallied four shutouts in 2015 including one over conference champion Hofstra. Shields recorded a season-high nine saves against UC Santa Barbara while making seven saves or more against conference foes Hofstra, Drexel, and William & Mary.
Rittmeyer, who was tabbed CAA Honorable Mention prior to the season, was named to the All-CAA Second Team. Nico was named a team captain for 2015 and led the team in goals for the second straight season. The junior was the only Cougar to score two goals in one game (Seton Hall) and also notched a goal against the No. 2 North Carolina Tar Heels.
Murillo, was also a captain for the 2015 Cougars and led a stellar backline that allowed only 1.19 goals per game. The defender played a team-high 1494 minutes and scored his lone goal of the season on a header against UC Santa Barbara.
Archer made his way onto the All-CAA Third Team with his consistent high-level of play in the Cougar backline. The dominant defender played 1373 minutes constantly limiting opponent's best player and overall scoring chances. Leland finished the season tied with Rittmeyer for the team-lead in goals with four with two of those coming off of penalty kicks.
Adesodun rounds out the decorated backline of the Cougars by making the CAA-Rookie Team. The freshmen started all 16 games and played 1367 minutes on a defense that limited opponents to 1.19 goals per game.
Coons ends his Cougar career as an example of what to do both on and off the field. Not only did he excel in the classroom, but the Aplharetta, Ga. native played in all 17 games this season tallying 1416 minutes between the midfield and defensive backline. Tucker scored his lone goal of the season in the Cougars 3-1 win over Northern Illinois on Sept. 6.
Follow the Cougars on Twitter at @CofCSoccer for the latest offseason updates both on and off the field.
First Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School
Colin Bonner, UNCW* Sr. F Fulton, Md./Reservoir
Guillermo Delgado, Delaware* Jr. F Tres Cantos, Spain/Jose Luis Sampedro
Frantzdy Pierrot, Northeastern# So. F Melrose, Mass./Seacoast United Development Acad.
James Brace, Elon# Sr. MF Hartlepool, England/High Tunstall
Thomas de Villardi, Delaware Jr. MF Vincennes, France/Lycee Notre-dame Guingamp
Joseph Holland, Hofstra* Jr. MF London, England/Lewisham College
Miguel Salazar, Elon* Sr. MF Guanajuato, Mexico/Vista Grande
Nathan Diehl, Elon# Sr. D Birmingham, Ala./Mountain Brook
Harri Hawkins, Hofstra* Jr. D Cambridge, England/Chesterton
Thibault Philippe, Delaware So. D Saint-Brienc, France/Lycee Notre-dame Guingamp
Kevin Shields, College of Charleston Jr. GK Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla./Ponte Vedra
Second Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Jackson Eskay, William & Mary Sr. F Urbana, Md./Urbana
Nico Rittmeyer, College of Charleston% Jr. F Savannah, Ga./Savannah Country Day
Joe Dipre, Delaware# Sr. MF Betchworth, England/London Freemen's School
Ben Fisher, UNCW Fr. MF Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill
Jose Garcia, UNCW Sr. MF College Park, Ga./Woodward Academy
Billy Metzler, James Madison Fr. MF Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson
Toby Appleton, James Madison So. D Cheshire, England
Marcel Berry, William & Mary Fr. D Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle
Michael Mecham, UNCW Sr. D Blacksburg, Va./Blacksburg
Cesar Murillo, College of Charleston So. D El Paso, Texas/Bel Air
Patric Pray, Hofstra Sr. GK Chandler, Ariz./Corona Del Sol
Third Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
William Eskay, William & Mary So. F Urbana, Md./Urbana
Mani Walcott, Hofstra So. F Beltsville, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt
Erik Alexandersson, Drexel So. MF Gothenburg, Sweden/Katrinelundsgymnasiet
Eduardo Alvarez, Elon Sr. MF Reitoca, Honduras/Greensboro Day School
Antonio Bustamante, William & Mary Fr. MF Springfield, Va./West Springfield
Ackim Mpofu, Northeastern So. MF Bulawayo, Zimbabwe/Cushing Academy
Bjarki Aðalsteinsson, James Madison* Sr. D Kopavogur, Iceland/Menntaskolinn i Kopavogi
Leland Archer, College of Charleston So. D Port of Spain, Trinidad/Fatima College
Sam McBride, Elon Sr. D Greensboro, N.C./Wesleyan Christian Academy
Rory Murphy, Hofstra Jr. D Windlesham, England/Collingwood
Kyle Morton, James Madison% Jr. GK West Chester, Pa./Reed Henderson
2015 CAA Player of the Year: Joseph Holland, Hofstra
2015 CAA Defender of the Year: Nathan Diehl, Elon
2015 CAA Co-Rookies of the Year: Marcel Berry, William & Mary and Ben Fisher, UNCW
2015 CAA Coach of the Year: Richard Nuttall, Hofstra
* - All-CAA First Team in 2014 # - All-CAA Second Team in 2014 % - All-CAA Third Team in 2014
2015 CAA Men's Soccer All-Rookie Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/High School
Temi Adesodun, College of Charleston Fr. D Columbia, S.C./Irmo
Ryder Bell, William & Mary Fr. F Moreland Hills, Ohio/University School
Marcel Berry, William & Mary Fr. D Charlottesville, Va./Albemarle
Antonio Bustamante, William & Mary Fr. MF Springfield, Va./West Springfield
Ben Fisher, UNCW Fr. MF Chapel Hill, N.C./Chapel Hill
Jaiden Fortune, Elon Fr. F Bedford, England/Pine Ridge
Matthew Jegier, Elon Fr. GK Charlotte, N.C./Providence
Billy Metzler, James Madison Fr. MF Fairfax, Va./W.T. Woodson
Sean Nealis, Hofstra Fr. D Massapequa, N.Y./Massapequa
John Schroeder, Delaware Fr. D Houston, Texas/Philadelphia Union Acad.
2015 CAA Men's Soccer All-Academic Team
Player, School Cl. Pos. Hometown/Previous School
Erik Alexandersson, Drexel So. MF Gothenburg, Sweden/Katrinelundsgymnasiet
Daniel Arvidsson, Northeastern So. MF Sao Paulo, Brazil/American School of The Hague
Colin Bonner, UNCW Sr. F Fulton, Md./Reservoir
Tucker Coons, College of Charleston Sr. D Alpharetta, Ga./Chattahoochee
Chris Dunn, William & Mary Sr. MF Arlington, Va./Yorktown
Daniel Grundei, Hofstra Sr. D Nuremberg, Germany/Bertolt Brecht Schule
Daniel Roppert, James Madison Sr. D Munich, Germany/Dorfen
Ben Sampson, Delaware Sr. MF Woodbury, Minn./Woodbury
Chris Shannon, Elon Jr. GK Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons
