Jan. 7, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina forward Mikkel Knudsen gained another honor, this time from College Soccer News, as the outlet placed the rookie on its 2014 First-Team All-Freshman listing.

The Dane led the Gamecocks with eight goals and finished second on the team with three assists, compiling 19 points, which stands eighth in Gamecock annals for a freshman. Six of his goals came in Conference USA play, gaining him the league’s Golden Boot award for topping all in scoring. It ranks as one of four awards C-USA’s coaches handed to Knudsen, going with the Freshman of the Year honor as well as spots on the All-Freshman Team and all-conference second team.

It’s his second national honor, after Top Drawer Soccer named him to its Freshman Best XI Second Team. He also garnered third-team recognition from the National Soccer Coaches Association of America in its All-South region balloting. He joins now former teammate Braeden Troyer as recipients of a spot on College Soccer News’ Freshman All-America squads, as Troyer earned third-team honors in 2011.

The Gamecocks made the 2014 C-USA Tournament Championship with consecutive wins over ranked foes and finished the year at 10-10.

2014 College Soccer News All-Freshman Teams

First Team
F – Abu Danladi, UCLA
F – Timmy Mueller, Oregon State
F – Julian Zamora, Cal State Bakersfield
F – Mikkel Knudsen, South Carolina
M – Lucas Stauffer, Creighton
M – Corey Baird, Stanford
M – Arnun Basuljevic, Georgetown
D – Tim Kubel, Louisville
D – Cory Brown, Xavier
D – Grant Lillard, Indiana
GK – Nils Leifhelm, Rhode Island

Second Team
F – Seyi Adekoya, UCLA
F – Matt Vasquenza, Xavier
F – Will Bagrou, Mercer
M – Axel Mendez, UC Santa Barbara
M – Julian Buescher, Syracuse
M – Jake Rozhansky, Virginia
D – Chase Gasper, UCLA
D – Sheldon Sullivan, Virginia
D – Tomas Hilliard-Acre, Stanford
GK – Thomas Olsen, San Diego

Third Team
F – Jason Wright, Rutgers
F – Frantzdy Pierrot, Northeastern
F – Alexander Tejera, Siena
F – Spiro Pliakos, Detroit
M – Sam Brown, Harvard
M – Uriel Macias, IUPUI
M – Ebe Kudolo, High Point
D – Kris Reaves, Wake Forest
D – Bjarki Benediktsson, Boston University
D – Angus Hastings, Fairfield
GK – Wes Mink, Oakland