The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Men's Soccer Announces 2004 Team Award Winners
2/14/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Feb. 14, 2005
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Sandy Gbandi and Leandro de Oliveira were named co-MVP's of the 2004 UAB Men's Soccer team and became the first-ever co-MVPs as voted by the UAB players. The Most Valuable Player Award is one of three awards presented at the annual banquet honoring members of the Blazer men's soccer team, which took place Sunday evening.
Other award winners included Robert Sherringham, who was voted Most Improved Player, and Coaches Award winner Jarbas Carlos. The MVP and Most Improved Player honors are voted upon by members of the team. The Coaches Award is voted upon by the UAB coaching staff.
Gbandi and de Oliveira were both All-Conference USA selections this year for Mike Getman's club, which finished as runners-up in both the Conference USA regular season and postseason tournament. de Oliveira led UAB in scoring with 18 points behind five goals and eight assists on the season. He was a first team all-south region pick by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) and a first team all-conference pick for the Blazers.
Gbandi was also a first team All-C-USA selection and member of the league's all-tournament team. He was a third team all-south region pick by the NSCAA as a defender. Gbandi had five goals and six assists on the season while captaining the Blazer defense to eight shutouts on the year.
"This is the first time in the history of the program we have had co-MVP's," Getman said. "Both of these young men were very deserving of the award and the players vote was dead even. We tried to break the tie with the coaches and both of our assistants split as well. It was clear to us that those two players made the difference for us each game on the field and both are very deserving the of the award."
Sherringham appeared in and started all 19 contests for the Blazers this year and was a key component of the defense that held opponents to barely a goal per game. His success this season came after a 2003 season in which he sat out due to injury.
"Robert has worked extremely hard on his game over the past few years," Getman acknowledged. "It is very satisfying to see his efforts recognized by his teammates."
Carlos, who along with Rogerio Oliveira makes up the senior class of the 2004 squad, appeared in and started 18 contests for Getman's club this year. His leadership helped comprise the stingy UAB defensive unit which recorded eight shutouts on the season. In his four-year UAB career, Carlos appeared in 67 total matches for the Blazers.
"Jarbas has given everything he can give to this team," Getman said. "He has overcome injuries and fought through adversity to lift his teammates and this program up. The voting among the coaching staff for this award was unanimous."
With Carlos and Oliveira the lone seniors on the 2004 squad, Getman returns all but two letterwinners for 2005.
