Goduadze Named Rookie of the Year, Headlining Six on AD3I All-Independent Men’s Soccer Teams

OVERLAND PARK, Kan. – Six members of the St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn) men's soccer team were honored by the Association of Division III Independents (AD3I) as the 2014 All-Independent Men's Soccer Teams were announced earlier today.

Freshman Beka Goduadze (Tbilisi, Georgia/Lyceum "NK") was named as the AD3I Rookie of the Year for his outstanding play on the pitch in his first year. Along with him, both Bencion Barrios (Brooklyn, N.Y./SUNY Ulster) and Thomas Homier (Middleton, Del./Middletown) were named to the All-Independent First Team while senior Raul Urshela (Orlando, Fla./Colonial), Pandeli Mano (Bayside, N.Y./Bayside High School) and Michael Ortiz (Bushwick, N.Y./Christ the King Regional) earned All-Independent Second Team accolades.

All but Urshela are receiving the honor for the first time. The contributions from all six of these players helped lead the St. Joseph's their first playoff berth in school history. After last year's three-win season, 2014 marked a highly successful turnaround for the Bears (7-7-1, 3-2-1 HVIAC), who finished with their best record in school history.

Goduadze's is the third Bear ever to receive AD3I Rookie of the Year honors and was also named to the HVIAC All-Conference Team. The two-time AD3I Player of the Week ranked second in the Association with 11 goals and 26 total points.

Barrios was a key contributor to the team as they earned their best record in program history. The junior playing his first season for the Bears tallied five goals and also led the team with seven assists, good for second most in AD3I.

Homier's was the third-most proficient scorer on St. Joseph's, netting seven goals in his junior campaign, his first season with the Bears.

Urshela, a former AD3I Rookie of the Year, has now taken home All-Independent honors in all four years on campus. The senior was second on the team and tied for third in the Association with nine goals, and finished his career as the all-time leading goal scorer with 33 tallies.

Freshman midfielder Mano, a one-time HVIAC Rookie of the Week, finished with four goals and three assists for the Bears.

In 14 games this season, Ortiz, a rookie midfielder, contributed three goals and two assists.

Men's soccer coaches from the Association of Division III Independents member schools selected the All-Independent Men's Soccer teams.

First Team 

Forward – Zach Hummel, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Forward – Beka Goduadze, Freshman, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Forward – Neal Hetzel, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Forward – Wira Wama, Sophomore, Maranatha Baptist University
Midfielder – Taylor Pill, Senior, Maranatha Baptist University
Midfielder – Donald Fuller, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Midfielder – Thomas Homier, Junior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Midfielder – Wesley Smith, Junior, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Defender – Drew DeLozier, Senior, Maranatha Baptist University
Defender – Sean Sprague, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Defender – Bencion Barrios, Junior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Defender – Will Weber, Sophomore, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Goalkeeper – David Vivian, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz

Second Team

Forward – Brady Blazek, Freshman, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Forward – Drew Miller, Sophomore, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Forward – Raul Urshela, Senior, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Forward – Joshua Allen, Senior, University of Maine-Presque Isle
Midfielder – Mark Barbosa, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Midfielder – Conrad Rowling, Junior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Midfielder – Michael Ortiz, Freshman, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Midfielder – Pandeli Mano, Freshman, St. Joseph's College (Brooklyn)
Defender – Michael Sanchez, Sophomore, University of California, Santa Cruz
Defender – Joe Platten, Junior, Nebraska Wesleyan University
Defender – Seth Cote, Junior, University of Maine-Presque Isle
Defender – Ian Leung, Senior, University of California, Santa Cruz
Defender – Erik Gumaer, Sophomore, University of Maine-Presque Isle
Goalkeeper – Charles Leeds, Junior, Maranatha Baptist University
Goalkeeper – Caleb Bragg-Grady, Sophomore, University of Maine-Presque Isle