Nov. 8, 2005

IRVING, Texas – Six South Carolina men’s soccer players were named to the all-Conference USA team, selected by the league’s coaches and announced by the conference office Tuesday. South Carolina also collected two of the four individual awards as senior Greg Reece earned Defensive Player of the Year honors and goalkeeper Mike Gustavson was named C-USA’s Freshman of the Year.

Reece was joined on the all-Conference USA first team by teammates Josh Alcala and Mike Sambursky. Reece is a two-year team captain and three-year starter in the back for the Gamecocks, who allowed just nine goals in nine C-USA contests, including a pair of shutouts this season. The Clemmons, N.C., native is a former C-USA Defensive Player of the Week and member of Soccer America’s National Team of the Week.

Alcala, a senior forward from Buda, Texas, was Conference USA’s leading scorer with 18 points on six goals and six assists in league games. He is also a former C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and a member of Soccer America’s National Team of the Week, Alcala and Sambursky, a junior midfielder, lead the Gamecocks in scoring with 22 points apiece (7 goals, 8 assists), which ranks third among conference players in all games. Sambursky, a native of Katy, Texas, scored 15 points (5 goals, 5 assists) in conference play.

In addition to earning Freshman-of-the-Year honors, Gustavson made the second team and the all-Freshman team. The Aiken, S.C., product ranked second in the conference in goals-against average (0.98) and save percentage (.791) in league games. Overall, he owns a 1.31 goals-against average to go with 72 saves and two shutouts.

Junior defender Ryan Leeton (Midland, Texas) and junior midfielder Ralph Pace (Boston, Va.) both made the all-Conference third team. Leeton, who is also a former Conference USA Defensive Player of the Week, has started all 17 matches and scored one goal for the Gamecocks. Pace, also a 17-game starter, has scored five points (2 goals, 1 assist) for South Carolina from his spot in the back of the midfield.

South Carolina tied with Conference USA regular season champion SMU for the most players on the All-Conference USA first team with three, and with the most representatives on the first, second and third teams combined. USC is in its first season competing in Conference USA for men’s soccer. SMU’s Duke Hashimoto was selected the Player of the Year and Marshall’s Bob Gray was chosen the Coach of the Year.

The Gamecocks (10-6-1) are the No. 2 seed in this week’s Conference USA Tournament, which is being played at Westcott Field on the campus of SMU in Dallas, Texas, Nov. 9, 11 and 13. Carolina faces No. 7 Kentucky on Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. ET in the first round. Live stats will be available on South Carolina’s official athletic web site, USCsports.com. Additional information can be found at ConferenceUSA.com.

A complete list of 2005 C-USA award winners follows:

Player of the YearDuke Hashimoto, F, SMU
Defensive Player of the YearGreg Reece, D, South Carolina
Freshman of the YearMike Gustavson, GK, South Carolina
Coach of the YearBob Gray, Marshall
All-Conference First TeamF: Josh Alcala, South CarolinaF: Kyle Brown, TulsaF: Duke Hashimoto, SMUMF: David Chun, SMUMF: Dayton O'Brien, MemphisMF: Mike Sambursky, South CarolinaMF: Lucas Scudeler, Florida InternationalD: Jay Needham, SMUD: Greg Reece, South CarolinaD: Thomas Senecal, KentuckyGK: Andy Gruenebaum, Kentucky
All-Conference Second TeamF: Jason McLaughlin, UABF: Andy Metcalf, MemphisF: Carron Williams, Florida InternationalMF: Karim Boukhemis, MarshallMF: Sandy Gbandi, UABMF: Matt Wiley, TulsaMF: Kellan Zindel, SMUD: Dejan Jakovic, UABD: Jeff Lenix, MarshallD: Brandon Stewart, KentuckyGK: Mike Gustavson, South Carolina
All-Conference Third TeamF: Maurice Hughes, UABF: Billy Judino, UCFF: Jerson Monteiro, UABMF: Eric Burkholder, TulsaMF: Mike D'Agostino, KentuckyMF: Bruno Guarda, SMUMF: Ralph Pace, South CarolinaMF: Jared Rose, Florida InternationalD: Jamie Dabney, TulsaD: Mynor Gonzalez, SMUD: Ryan Leeton, South CarolinaGK: A.J. Robles, UAB
All-Freshman TeamDavid Levine, F, East CarolinaLevi Coleman, F/MF, Florida InternationalJudah Hernandez, F, Florida InternationalOsric Flores, F, MarshallTripp Hawkins, MF, MemphisDanny Lopez, D, SMUBruno Guarda, MF, SMURyan Mirsky, D, SMUJeff Harwell, MF, SMUMike Gustavson, GK, South CarolinaChris Clements, D. TulsaEric DeFreitas, MF, TulsaTwo-Boys Gumede, MF, UABMike Mattson, F, UCF