Six Men's Soccer Student-Athletes Named CSC Academic All-District
AUSTIN, Texas – Six South Carolina men’s soccer players were named to the 2023 Academic All-District® Men’s Soccer Team as selected by College Sports Communicators (CSC). The award recognizes the nation’s top student-athletes for their combined performances on the field and in the classroom. The Gamecocks tied for the most selections in the Sun Belt, with only three teams earning the maximum six honorees.
Peter Clement and Kasper Lehm earned their second All-District honor, while Ben Alexander, Ethan Dekel Daks, William Nilsson, and Rocky Perez each earned their first selection. It’s the second consecutive season the Gamecocks had six players earn the honor. Carolina has now had a player earn All-District honors in 15 of the last 17 seasons.
All six players now advance to the CSC Academic All-America® ballot. First-, second- and third-team Academic All-America® honorees will be announced December 19.
A senior midfielder from Gelsted, Denmark, Clement is a three-year captain for the Gamecocks. He is an operations and supply chain major with a 3.56 GPA. He started 14 matches and played in 17. Clement closed his time at Carolina with eight career goals, three of which were game-winners, and added eight assists.
Lehm, a fifth-year defender from Odense, Denmark, has a perfect 4.0 GPA while pursuing his master’s degree in international business. He played in 17 matches and started 13 for the Gamecocks back line. He led the team with four assists, two of which came in Carolina’s upset win over then-No. 1 UCF in the opening round of the Sun Belt Tournament. For his efforts he was named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team
Alexander has been a main stay in goal for the Gamecocks over the past two seasons. The sophomore from Chilliwack, British Columbia is an exercise science major with a 3.66 GPA. He started and played in 17 matches this season, earning three shutouts, with a 1.61 goals against average, and a 70.0 save percentage. Alexander ranked 41st in the nation in total saves and 62nd in saves per game. He was also nationally ranked in save percentage and goals against average. He was named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after helping the Gamecocks take down then-No. 24 Kentucky on the road.
A sophomore, Dekel Daks is a management major with a 3.85 GPA. He was named to the Sun Belt All-Conference First Team after tying for seventh in conference play with three goals, two of which were game winners. His two game winners were tied for second in league play. He tied for the team lead in goals and assists in Sun Belt play. He was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for his game-winning goal against Old Dominion that came with five seconds left in the match. On the year, he played in 17 matches, starting in 16 of them. He was second on the team with four goals and tallied two assists.
From Helsingborg, Sweden, Nilsson holds a perfect 4.0 GPA while majoring in civil engineering. The sophomore defenseman started and played in 15 matches for the Gamecocks. He was instrumental in Carolina’s upsets over nationally ranked Kentucky and UCF. He was named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team for his performance against the Knights and No. 5 West Virginia.
A sophomore from San Antonio, Texas, Perez is a management major with a 3.6 GPA. He is a midfielder who played in 17 matches this season, starting in seven of them.
For more information about CSC Academic All-District® and Academic All-America® Teams program, visit AcademicAllAmerica.com.
For the latest on men’s soccer, visit GamecocksOnline.com or follow the team’s social media accounts on Twitter @GamecockMSoccer, Facebook /GamecockMSoccer, and Instagram @GamecockMSoccer.
