March 30, 2015

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina’s men’s soccer team celebrated its 2014 season at its annual banquet, handing out team awards as well as honoring those who picked up many awards during the season.

The team’s Bill Lauritzen Most Valuable Defensive Player Award went to senior Braeden Troyer, who became the 58th Gamecock signed to a pro contract last week, joining the USL’s Richmond Kickers. The Brian Winstead Most Valuable Offensive Player Award was awarded to Mikkel Knudsen, who won a quartet of Conference USA awards including the league’s Golden Boot and Freshman of the Year honors.

The Coaches’ Award went to seniors Mahamoudou Kaba and Robert Beebe, and the team’s John Johnson Most Valuable Player Award was given to Troyer. Troyer also took home first-team Capital One Academic All-America honors as selected by CoSIDA as well as All-C-USA second-team and all-academic team accolades. The team’s strength and conditioning award went to junior Devin L’Amoreaux.

The team gave its academic awards to one member in each class: Craig Duggan, freshman; Kurtis Turner, sophomore; Ryan Arambula, junior; and Troyer, senior. Troyer and Turner were among eight who made the SEC Fall Academic Honor Roll, joining Asa Kryst, L’Amoreaux, Koty Millard, Jeffrey Torda, Dan Traxler and Marco Velez. Turner also made the All-C-USA third team.

Torda joined Troyer on the C-USA All-Academic Team, NSCAA Scholar All-South Region Second Team as well as the CoSIDA Academic All-District squad, with Eli Dent also making the latter. Knudsen and Kaba earned NSCAA All-Southeast Region Third Team accolades, with Knudsen taking two national Freshman All-America-type honors, making College Soccer News’s first team and Top Drawer Soccer’s second team.

Four Gamecocks made the C-USA All-Tournament Team after the squad made the tournament championship match, as Kaba, Knudsen, Troyer and Marco Velez claimed those spots.

All these awards came to student-athletes on Mark Berson’s 37th South Carolina team, the current longest-tenured head coach in NCAA Division I at one school. This January, the NSCAA honored Berson with its Bill Jeffery Award, given to an individual for outstanding service in college soccer.