Oct. 30, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. – Three South Carolina student-athletes garnered recognition on the 2014 Capital One Academic All-District 4 Men’s Soccer Team, as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America.

Senior defender Braeden Troyer earned the honor for the third-consecutive year and was joined on the listing by junior Jeffrey Torda and sophomore Eli Dent.

This is the third time in the past seven years that three Gamecocks made the district listings, following the 2008 and 2010 teams. The Gamecocks were the only team in District 4, which covers Alabama, Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, to have multiple players on the NCAA Division I team.

Troyer has played every minute of 2014 as one of the central defenders. He’s helped the Gamecocks to three shutouts and four matches with two or less shots on goal. His accolade list includes being a three-time All-Conference USA selection, including making the second team the past two years, two C-USA All-Academic Team spots and a third-team Freshman All-America nod from College Soccer News. He owns three C-USA Academic Medals and three Southeastern Conference Academic Honor Roll certificates.

Torda twice earned C-USA Academic Medals so far in his Gamecock career. The Colleyville, Texas, attacker, who has started every match this year, has two goals and one assist on the year, with both goals coming in the thrilling 5-4 win at FIU. The game-winner came off his foot with three seconds to play in the contest. He also has two SEC Academic Honor Roll nods on his résumé.

Dent has one C-USA Academic Medal and one SEC Academic Honor Roll selection to his credit. The Charleston, S.C., native has drawn 12 starts and played in all 16 matches, getting a goal and two assists on the season. One of the helpers came on the game-winning goal against Georgia State, finding an unmarked Jeff Addai with Dent’s corner kick.

The previous two times the Gamecocks had three student-athletes make the academic all-district squads, both Jimmy Maurer and Will Traynor were a part. Sam Arthur joined them in 2008, and Blake Brettschneider accompanied them in 2010.

All three advance onto the national vote, with those results coming out on Tuesday, Nov. 25.

To be eligible for the Capital One Academic All-America program, a student-athlete must have at least a 3.3 cumulative grade-point average and be a sophomore both academically and athletically and in their second year on the team.

South Carolina concludes the regular season next Friday, Nov. 7 at nationally-ranked New Mexico, with kickoff set for 7 p.m. MST.

2014 Capital One Academic All-District 4 Team
Men’s Soccer – NCAA Division I

GK Sven Lissek, Jr., Furman
D Chris Locandro, Sr., Georgia State
D Ian Michalak, Sr., UAB
D Ashani Samuels, Sr., Mercer
D Braeden Troyer, Sr., South Carolina
M Lucas Baldin, Sr, USF
M Marvin Schmiege, Jr., USC Upstate
M Jake Weiss, Sr., UCF
F Eli Dent, So., South Carolina
F Ignacio Monchetti, Sr., Presbyterian
F Jeffrey Torda, Jr., South Carolina