Five men’s soccer team players were selected to the Atlantic Sun All Conference, the league office has announced. Head coach Scott Calabrese was also honored as the A-Sun Coach of the Year.”I am very pleased that our peers at the A-Sun have recognized so many of our players for their performances this season as this is truly an honor,” Calabrese said.

In only his third season at the helm, Calabrese has seen the Bucs receive their first ever regional ranking, first ever top 50 RPI ranking and 10-win season.

“I am grateful to the coaches in the A-Sun for this honor,” Calabrese said. “This is a team award to be shared by both the staff and the players in recognition of their commitment and hard work. Ian Luya has been here since the program’s inception and has done an amazing job helping us to improve each year.

“The hard work of David Lilly our graduate assistant, Satoshi Mizuguchi and Howard Gray, our sports scientists, as well as Andrew Swanson, our trainer, needs to be recognized as they are critical to our success thus far this season. Most importantly the players have shown the desire required to be successful.”

Joining Calabrese in the A-Sun superlatives was freshman Itode Fubara (Ogbema, Nigeria) as he was named the A-Sun Freshman of the Year after notching three goals, three assists and nine points in his first season of play. The talented Nigerian was a key addition to a Buccaneer squad that ranks 47 in the RPI.

“Fubara is a tremendous talent,” said Calabrese. “He has quickly adapted to the college game and is a great influence on the team both on and off the field. I am very much looking forward to seeing Fubara develop over the next several years”

ETSU (13-5-0, 7-2-0 A-Sun) also had three players selected to the A-Sun First team including senior Guilherme Reis (Belo Horizonte, Brazil), junior Aaron Schoenfeld (Knoxville, Tenn.) and Fubara.

The selection is the second straight for Reis and Schoenfeld as they were both named to the A-Sun Second Team in 2009.

Schoenfeld leads the team with six goals on the season, while Reis has anchored an ETSU back line that has limited its opponents to the fewest shots in the conference on its way to posting seven shutouts.

“Guilherme has been outstanding at the back for us this season,” Calabrese said. “He has great awareness as he reads the game very well and has provided us with leadership on and off the field. I am also very pleased for Aaron. He has been extraordinary this season. He works constantly for the team. His hard work and determination makes him a real threat as he has scored key goals for us this year.”

Fubara was also a unanimous selection on the A-Sun All-Freshmen squad.

Joining Fubara on the All-Freshmen team are David Geno (Kingsport, Tenn.) and Blaike Woodruff (Georgetown, Texas). Geno has posted three goals and a team-best four assists on the year, while Woodruff has played big minutes as both a midfielder and defender netting the game-winner against Mercer on Oct. 2.

“Blaike has a very competitive mentality, and he has played in the midfield and at the back giving us grit and work rate in both positions,” Calabrese added. “He has been one of our most consistent players this season. David is also a tremendous talent as he has utilized his speed, strength and quality in the final third to score important goals for us.”

The Bucs return to action Thursday as they will host the winner of the Campbell/Lipscomb quarterfinal match at Summers-Taylor Stadium in the A-Sun semifinals.

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