The South Atlantic Conference Announces Men's Soccer Annual Awards

ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSac.com) – Wingate forward Jon Ander was voted the 2015 South Atlantic Conference Men's Soccer Player of the Year, while teammate Pablo Jara was voted the Conference's Freshman of the Year.  In addition, Carson-Newman mentor Richard Moodie was tabbed the Coach of the Year, the League announced today.

Ander, a sophomore from Bilbao, Spain, became Wingate's second-straight Player of the Year after finishing the regular season ranked No. 1 in the South Atlantic Conference with 10 goals during the 2015 season.  The forward also ranked No. 2 in the League with three game-winners and was third in the Conference with 23 points.  He turned in a hat trick in the 5-0 win over Queens and helped the Bulldogs to their second-straight SAC Regular Season Championship as they shared the Championship with Carson-Newman this season.  The Bulldogs reached as high as No. 7 in the nation this season in the National Soccer Coaches Association Coach's Poll.

Jara, a goalkeeper from Santiago, Chile, finished the regular season ranked No. 1 in the South Atlantic Conference with eight shutouts on the year.  He also finished tops in the Conference with 13 wins and a 0.81 goals against average.  The Bulldogs currently rank No. 30 in Division II with a 0.41 shutout percentage to go along with a goals against average of 0.86 to rank No. 28 in the nation.  Jara posted a pair of back-to-back shutout matches during the 2015 campaign as he became Wingate's first Freshman of the Year honoree since the 2004 season.

Moodie earns his first-ever Coach of the Year honor after leading the Eagles to their first Regular Season Championship since the 2010 season as Carson-Newman and Wingate finished the 2015 season as Co-Champions.  The Eagles rank No. 16 in the nation with 44 goals, while ranking No. 18 in Division II with 7.18 points per game.  Carson-Newman is also 17^th in the country with 2.59 goals per game as the Eagles are currently ranked No. 14 in the nation in the NSCAA Coach's Poll.

Tom Read of Carson-Newman, Corey Brown from Queens and Anderson's Andre Carle joined Ander on the list of first-team forwards.  Aksel Juul of Wingate, Leonardo da Silva from Lincoln Memorial, Thibault Mathorez of Carson-Newman and Wingate's Shaun Gadsby were tabbed the first-team midfielders.

On the defensive side, Alex Nelson of Wingate, Nathaniel Johnson from Lincoln Memorial and Carson-Newman's James Ward and Sindre Welo were tabbed the first-team defenders.  Jara took home first-team goalkeeper honors.

First Team All-Conference
F – Jon Ander, Wingate
F – Tom Read, Carson-Newman
F – Corey Brown, Queens
F – Andre Carle, Anderson
MF – Aksel Juul, Wingate
MF – Shaun Gadsby, Wingate
MF – Leonardo da Silva, Lincoln Memorial
MF – Thibault Mathorez, Carson-Newman
D – Alex Nelson, Wingate
D – Nathaniel Johnson, Lincoln Memorial
D – James Ward, Carson-Newman
D – Sindre Welo, Carson-Newman
GK – Pablo Jara, Wingate

Honorable Mention All-Conference
F – Kenny Bonilla, Catawba
F – Andreas Kvam, Tusculum
F – Bruno Andrade, Carson-Newman
F – Ryan McPhillips, Brevard
MF – Marc-Kevin Schwenk, Queens
MF – Amine Merdjett, Mars Hill
MF – Polymnios Avgousti, Carson-Newman
MF – Lucas Siqueira, Carson-Newman
D – Guillermo Lazcano, Tusculum
D – Austin Huddy, Queens
D – Tom Seery, Lenoir-Rhyne
D – Dejean Charlton, Lenoir-Rhyne
GK – Jorge Alvarez, Tusculum (T)
GK – Heath Turner, Brevard (T)

Soccer Player of the Year
Jon Ander, F, Wingate

2015 Men's Soccer Statistical Champions
Goals per Match: Leonardo da Silva, Lincoln Memorial (0.62)
Points per Match: Tom Read, Carson-Newman (1.67)
Assists per Match: Tom Read, Carson-Newman (0.73)
Goals Against Average: Pablo Jara, Wingate (0.861)
Save Percentage: Heath Turner, Brevard (0.809)
Shutouts: Pablo Jara, Wingate (7)
Team Points per Match: Carson-Newman (7.18)
Team Goals per Match: Carson-Newman (2.59)
Team Assists per Match: Carson-Newman/Wingate (2.00)
Team Shutouts: Lenoir-Rhyne/Wingate/Tusculum (6)
Team Goals Against Average: Wingate (0.86)
Team Winning Percentage: Carson-Newman (.853)
Fair Play Award: Wingate