The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Five Men's Soccer Players Garner All-Conference Awards
11/11/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 11, 2008
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. ----- Junior forward Two-Boys Gumede earned First-Team All-Conference USA honors, as announced by the conference office. In all, five UAB men's soccer players were honored by a vote of the coaches around the league.
In addition to Gumede's selection, senior midfielder Trey Gregory, junior defender Dean Sorrell and sophomore midfielder Michal Mravec were each chosen as third-team all-conference members, while freshman midfielder Andrew Barsalona earned a spot on the league's all-freshman team.
"I am delighted for all of our guys that earned all-conference recognition," UAB head coach Mike Getman said. "All of these players are very deserving of this recognition. They have all played a big role for us this year and I am glad the coaches from around the league took notice and voted them as all-conference players."
Gumede made an immediate impact for UAB after missing all of last season. This season, the Louisville, Ky. native has accounted for four goals and 11 points on the campaign, both of which rank second on the team. Additionally, his three assists leads UAB and ranks among the conference leaders.
This year's first-team nod marks the third straight season Gumede has played in which he earned all-conference honors. Gumede earned all-freshman accolades in 2005, and second-team honors in 2006.
Gregory earns his second consecutive all-conference award, as the Birmingham, Ala. native was chosen to the league's second-team in 2007. Although he played midfield for most of his UAB career, Gregory showed his versatility this season when he made the move to defender. The switch has paid off as Gregory helped lead a defense that has allowed just 1.11 goals per game.
Mravec and Sorrell each earned their first career all-conference recognition with this year's award. Mravec has been one of the more consistent midfielders on this year's team. He has played in all 18 contests, making 15 starts despite battling injuries throughout the year. Entering the conference tournament, Mravec ranks fourth on the team with six points on two goals and two assists.
Sorrell receives his first league honor after being one of the most dependable players in school history. The co-captain of this year's team, Sorrell is one of only three players to have started all 18 games on the year and is the only player to have played every minute of every game this season. In fact, the Birmingham, Ala. native has played and started every game during his three-year career, and has played in 5,246 of a possible 5,382 minutes throughout his career, which equates to 97-percent of action. Sorrell also anchors a defense that has allowed just 1.11 goals per game, which would rank among the top goals allowed averages in school history.
Barsalona burst onto the scene and has made an immediate impact on this year's team. He had played in 17 of UAB's 18 contests and is tied for fifth on the team with four points on a goal and two assists. He scored the game-clinching goal in UAB's 3-0 win over Marshall to secure a spot in this weekend's C-USA Championship.
The Blazers will take on No. 7-ranked and top-seed Tulsa on Wednesday in the opening round of this year's championship. The two teams will kickoff at 5:30 p.m. and can be followed live on Gametracker by logging on to the Conference USA official website, ConferenceUSA.com.
