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Jones earns record fourth All-SoCon honor as conference awards are announced
SPARTANBURG, SC – Highlighted by Scott Jones earning a record fourth first-team honor, four UNC Greensboro players were honored Saturday morning with All-Southern Conference accolades.
Forward Randi Patterson, midfielders Scott Jones and Mike Richardson and defender David Worthen were all named to the All-SoCon first team. UNCG, the regular season champion for the third consecutive year, had the most first-team selections with four. Furman had the most overall selections between the first and second teams with seven.
With Jones’ selection to the first team this season, he became the first Spartan to ever earn first-team all-conference in each of his four seasons. The native of Dallas, TX was the 2003 Southern Conference Freshman of the Year and earned first-team honors that season. Also a two-time All-American, he has followed that up with three more first-team selections since then, including this year’s. In addition to being UNCG’s first four-time selection, he is also just the 10th in the Southern Conference’s 41-year men’s soccer history to earn first-team honors all four seasons. He is just the second to achieve the milestone since 1988, with Furman’s Matt Goldsmith (1998-2001) as the only other player to achieve the quartet in that timeframe. This season, Jones has
Jon Leathers of Furman was named the 2006 Men’s Soccer Player of the Year. The defender started 16 matches and anchored a Paladin defense that allowed only 15 goals on the season and recorded nine shutouts. He was also named to the all-conference first team along with forward Shea Salinas and midfielder Dominic Cianciaurlo. Forward Chris Davis, midfielder Patrick Murray, defender Mark Futrell and goalkeeper Bryan Amos received second-team accolades.
Georgia Southern freshman Jon Cox was tabbed the Freshman of the Year by the coaches. Cox led the Eagles with 15 points, ninth in the conference. His five assists ranks sixth in the league standings with his five goals putting him seventh. Cox was also named to the all-conference second team with fellow teammate Brad Mitchum. Goalkeeper Adam Webb received first-team honors after leading the conference in saves percentage (.787) and recording a 1.21 goals against average with six shutouts.
First-year head coach Kevin Kennedy was named the Coach of the Year by his peers. Kennedy took over in August and led the Eagles to a second-place finish in the standings and an 8-5-3 overall record. He also bettered the 2005 conference record from 1-6 to a winning record of 4-1-2.
Patterson, a two-time All-American, earned his third first-team All-SoCon honor after earning second-team honors as a sophomore. He is second on the team in scoring with 17 points on eight goals and one assist. The senior from Hackensack, NJ is tied for fifth in the league in scoring entering the conference tournament.
Richardson, a senior from Dobson, NC, earned his first all-conference honor. He leads the Spartans with 18 points on five goals and eight assists. His 18 points and eight assists are both tied for third in the conference.
Worthen, a junior from Morehead City, NC, anchored the Spartan defense this season to help UNCG to its third consecutive SoCon regular season crown. It was the third straight first-team all-conference selection for Worthen.
AGATE
All-Southern Conference Men’s Soccer
selections
First Team
F – Jeremy Gold, College of Charleston
F – KiKi Willis, Elon
F – Shea Salinas, Furman
F – Randi Patterson, UNC Greensboro
MF – Dominic Cianciaurlo, Furman
MF – Scott Jones, UNC Greensboro
MF – Mike Richardson, UNC Greensboro
D – Paul Pessina, Appalachian State
D – Jon Leathers, Furman
D – David Worthen, UNC Greensboro
GK – Adam Webb, Georgia Southern
Second Team
F – Arie Munoz, Appalachian State
F – Chris Davis, Furman
F – Jon Cox, Georgia Southern
MF – Corey Lugger, Appalachian State
MF – Nick Aparicio, Elon
MF – Patrick Murray, Furman
D – Junior Nombre, Elon
D – Mark Futrell, Furman
D – Brad Mitchum, Georgia Southern
GK – Taylor Saxe, Elon
GK – Bryan Amos, Furman
Player of the Year: Jon Leathers, Furman
Freshman of the Year: Jon Cox, Georgia Southern
Coach of the Year: Kevin Kennedy, Georgia Southern
- UNCG -
