Virginia's Matt Oliver Named to Soccer America's All-Freshman Team

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Jan. 24, 2002

BERKELEY, Calif. – University of Virginia men’s soccer player Matt Oliver(Waldorf, Md./Dematha Catholic) was one of 11 players selected to Soccer America’sAll-Freshman team. Syracuse’s forward Jarett Park, who led NCAA Division I menin assists with 14 in 15 games, was named the 2001 College Men’s Freshman of theYear by Soccer America magazine.

Oliver, a 6-0 first-year defender, started all 19 games he appeared in for Virginia.He was named a 2001 Second Team All-Atlantic Coast Conference selection and wasa pivotal force in a UVa defense that posted 11 shutouts on the year, including sevenconsecutive shutouts over a 37-day period from September 9th – October 17th. Oliverhelped Virginia become the first team in the ACC to go undefeated in the conference bywinning all of its games by shutout.

Others players who were honored by Soccer America included: Indiana forwardMike Ambersley, Michigan midfielder Knox Cameron, Santa Clara defender Ryan Cochrane,Furman midfielder Clint Dempsey, Washington midfielder C.J. Klaas, Hartford forwardAlon Lubezky, Boston College defender Guy Melamed, Notre Dame goalkeeperChris Sawyer and North Carolina forward Marcus Storey.

Previous UVa Soccer America Freshmen of the Year nominees include ClaudioReyna (1991), and last year’s winner, Alecko Eskandarian (2000).

Soccer America’s men’s and women’s Freshmen of the Year and All-Freshman Teamselections are featured in the magazine’s February 4th issue.

Soccer America’s College Men’s All-Freshmen Team:

MIKE AMBERSLEY (Indiana)ForwardThe Big Ten's Co-Freshman of the Year contributed six goals and five assists-- No. 2 on the team -- as the Hoosiers rolled to 18 victories and a spot in theNCAA final. The U.S. U-20 forward scored the tying goal and assisted on theovertime winner in Indiana's semifinal victory over St. John's.

KNOX CAMERON (Michigan)MidfielderThe All-Big Ten second-team selection led the second-year Wolverines in scoringwith five goals and three assists in a 10-7-1 campaign. Three of his strikes came invictories over Wisconsin and Ohio State.

RYAN COCHRANE (Santa Clara)DefenderThe All-West Coast Conference second-teamer started all 21 games in the back forthe Broncos, who captured their eighth WCC title and shut out seven foes, includingCalifornia in an NCAA first-round clash.

CLINT DEMPSEY (Furman)MidfielderThe Southern Conference’s Freshman of the Year contributed 16 points — four goalsand eight assists — in 21 starts for the nation’s most prolific attack (3.09 goals per game).The Paladins went 17-5 and won their fourth successive SoCon title.

C.J. KLAAS (Washington)MidfielderThe Pacific 10 Freshman of the Year, a defender with the U.S. U-20 squad, started16 games for the Huskies, scoring a goal and dishing off five assists as Washingtonreached the NCAA tournament for the seventh straight year. He was a second-teamAll-Pac-10 selection.

ALON LUBEZKY (Hartford)ForwardThe America East Conference’s Rookie of the Year — an honor brother Asaf, a Hartfordjunior, captured in 1999 — was the lone freshman on the NSCAA All-America teams afterleading the Hawks with 50 points (on 21 goals and eight assists) in 20 starts. The Israelistriker scored 14 goals with seven assists in 11 AEC matches and was a first-team all-conferencechoice.

GUY MELAMED (Boston College)Midfielder/DefenderThe former Israeli U-16 and U-18 player, a 22-year-old freshman, split time in midfieldand defense, starting 17 games and scoring a pair of goals to help the Eagles gain theirsecond successive NCAA bid.

MATT OLIVER (Virginia)DefenderA 2001 Second Team All-ACC Selection. Oliver started 19 of 20 games in a Cavalierdefense that notched 11 shutouts, surrendered 0.60 goals per game and allowed foesonly 3.25 shots on goal per match. Virginia went 17-2-1 and won the Atlantic CoastConference regular season title.

JARETT PARK (Syracuse)ForwardThe Big East Conference’s Rookie of the Year scored five goals and assisted on another 14,factoring in more than half the Orangemen’s output. He led the nation in assists with thesecond-best single-season total in Syracuse history, passing off for nine in 10 Big East games,and was a third-team All-Big East selection. Park also plays for Syracuse’s lacrosse team.

CHRIS SAWYER (Notre Dame)GoalkeeperThe All-Big East second-team netminder grabbed the starting job six games into the seasonand led the Fighting Irish to 10 victories, second place in the Big East and their fifth NCAAtournament bid. Sawyer posted 6 1/2 shutouts — four of them in conference play — and a 0.56goals-against average, surrendering only eight goals in nearly 1,300 minutes of action.

MARCUS STOREY (North Carolina)ForwardThe Atlantic Coast Conference’s Rookie of the Year was the NCAA champions’No. 3 scorer with nine goals and eight assists — tops among ACC first-years — while starting17 of 25 matches. He earned a penalty kick in the Tar Heels’ 2-0 victory over Indiana in theNCAA championship.

FRESHMAN OF THE YEARJarett Park (Syracuse)Forward

Past Soccer America Freshman of the Year Selections:1988 — Shaka Hislop (Howard)1989 — Ruben Tufino (South Carolina)1990 — Brad Friedel (UCLA)1991 — Claudio Reyna (Virginia)1992 — Guillermo Jara (San Diego)1993 — Andre Paris (Princeton)1994 — Nick Bone (Boston University)1995 — Jay Heaps (Duke)1996 — Wojtek Krakowiak (St. John’s)1997 — Nick Garcia (Indiana)1998 — Taylor Twellman (Maryland)1999 — Conor Casey (Portland)2000 — Alecko Eskandarian (Virginia)2001 — Jarett Park (Syracuse)

— UVa —