Wingate’s Dawson Named Third Team AA; Four ’Dogs Earn All-Region Honors

Wingate, N.C.----Wingate University sophomore forward Robert Dawson (Manchester, England) has been named a third team NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division II All-America, the National Soccer Coaches Association of America announced this week. Earlier this fall, Dawson was selected as the 2003 South Atlantic Conference "player of the year."

Dawson is one of four Bulldogs to earn All-Southeast Region honors. Wingate junior defender Thomas Szvetitz (Valrico, Fla.) joined Dawson on the first team All-Southeast Region club. Bulldog senior goalkeeper Philip Poole (Newcastle, England) was named second team All-Southeast Region, while freshman forward Edson Elcock (Brooklyn, N.Y.) was named third team All-Southeast Region.

Robert Dawson
Dawson led the NCAA Division II in goals scored with 24 (1.33 goals per game). In addition, he led the NCAA Division II in points per match with 3.0 points per match. He was named first team All-South Atlantic Conference for the second consecutive year. Dawson was tabbed SAC "player of the week" twice in 2003.

A first team All-State pick, Dawson led the SAC and the Bulldogs in scoring with 54 points (24 goals, six assists) in 2003. As a first-year player in 2002, Dawson was named the SAC "freshman of the year." He was second on the 2002 Wingate team (to 2002 All-America Ben Hill) in scoring with 37 points (11 goals, 15 assists). In addition, he shared the 2002 team lead (with Hill and Paul Costick) in match-winning goals with three.

Thomas Szvetitz
Thomas Szvetitz is a three-time All-South Atlantic Conference performer. As a sophomore in 2002, Szvetitz was named honorable mention NSCAA/adidas NCAA Division II All-American. Szvetitz earned All-Southeast Region first team honors in 2002 as well.

A three-year starter, Szvetitz is the anchor of Wingate's defense. In 2003, Szvetitz had three goals and six assists for 12 points. He won Wingate's freshman male "athlete of the year" award in 2001-02.

Philip Poole
Philip Poole is a four-time All-South Atlantic Conference performer. In 2003, he allowed 41 goals in 1549 minutes for a 2.38 goals against average (GAA). Poole had 56 saves and two shutouts. His leadership has enabled the Wingate defense to be one of the top units in the region the last four years.

In 2002, Poole allowed a paltry 23 goals in 1658 minutes for a 1.25 GAA. He had 57 saves and four shutouts in 2002, leading the Bulldogs to the Food Lion SAC tournament crown. In 2001, he had a 1.76 GAA with 95 saves and four shutouts as Wingate won the SAC regular season championship. Poole was named the SAC "freshman of the year" in 2000. For his Bulldog career, he had 12 shutouts.

Edson Elcock
Edson Elcock made an immediate impact for the Bulldogs in his first season, earning the South Atlantic Conference "freshman of the year" award in 2003. He was second on the team in scoring (to Robert Dawson) with 10 goals and nine assists for 29 points.

Elcock led the Bulldogs with four match-winning goals. Elcock was second in the SAC in assists per match with 0.47 assists per match. He was seventh in the SAC in scoring with 1.53 points per match.

The NSCAA/adidas All-America teams (and All-Southeast Region teams) are determined through voting by NSCAA member coaches. The All-America honorees will be recognized at the NSCAA All-America Luncheon on Jan. 17, 2004. The luncheon is part of the 57th Annual NSCAA Convention, which will be held Jan. 14-18, 2004, at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, N.C.