After posting its best season since 2003, the Coastal Carolina men’s soccer team has netted some prestigious recognition for a couple of its key contributors.
Junior forward Ashton Bennett was named a first-team All-American by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, while sophomore midfielder Pedro Ribeiro earned third-team honors.
The teammates are the fifth and sixth different Chanticleers to be named to the list and the first since 2003. Overall, 35 players from around the country earned NSCAA All-American status.
“I think over the last couple years we’ve had some very good individual players, but because the team had a good season this year and advanced into the NCAA tournament and narrowly lost to North Carolina, now individuals within the team and the program get recognition because of the team’s success,” CCU coach Shaun Docking said. “I think it goes to show that we’ve got a very good, strong program.”
Bennett was earlier named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy and was the Big South Conference’s attacking player of the year after a season in which he led all Division I players with 23 goals and 53 points in his first year with the program.
“He scored goals against big teams. His contributions [were] fantastic this year,” Docking said. “I still think he’s got a lot of room for improvement, a lot to learn about the game still, and I think he’s only going to get better.”
Ribeiro, meanwhile, finished with nine goals and a team-high eight assists this season for the high-scoring Chants.
“He’s definitely a good player, but he’s got so much more room for improvement as well,” Docking said. “And I think he’s excited about working hard this spring and hopefully continuing to improve and mature as a player and understand that he’s got to be more of a leader on the field and off the field for the team to continue to do well and excel next year.”
The Chants finished the season with an 18-4 record and went 9-0 in conference play. They made their second straight NCAA tournament appearance and defeated Elon 4-3 at home in the opening round before losing 3-2 at top-ranked North Carolina. In fact, two of Coastal’s four losses this season came to the teams that will play for the NCAA championship – Charlotte and the Tar Heels.
“We’ve got a lot of good young players returning next year,” Docking said. “So our hope is obviously to do better next year.”
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