Cavaliers Land Five on All-South Region Team
Dec. 2, 2017
2017 United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Team
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A total of five Virginia men’s soccer players were listed on the 2017 United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Team, the most for the Cavaliers since 2009. The five honorees were also the most among any school in the South Region.
Senior Jeff Caldwell (Todd, N.C.) led a quartet comprised of Jean-Christophe Koffi (Potomac, Md.), Sergi Nus (Barcelona, Spain) and Edward Opoku (Millbrook, N.Y.) on the Second Team. Redshirt senior Pablo Aguilar (Guatemala City, Guatemala) earned a Third Team All-Region accolade.
Nus and Opoku were honored for the second-straight season. Opoku was a First Team honoree in 2016 while Nus was on the Third Team. Aguilar, Caldwell and Koffi were each recognized for the first time.
Caldwell finished out his collegiate career as one of the top goalkeepers in Virginia soccer history, ranking in the top 10 in career in shutouts (23 – T-3rd), minutes played (5,185 – 3rd), games played (61 – 3rd), saves (190 – 5th), goals against average (0.85 – 6th) and save percentage (.776 – 7th). In his final year, his 0.80 goals against average was the third lowest in the ACC and ranked 23rd lowest in the country. For the third-straight year, he earned All-ACC honors after being voted on the Second Team in 2017.
Koffi, the Cavaliers lone First Team All-ACC selection, was recognized in the region for the first time in his career. The midfielder compiled a career-high 10 points (3g, 4a). His four assists were tied for the most on the team. He provided the game-winning goal in overtime triumph over Pittsburgh on Oct. 20.
Nus put together his finest year at Virginia, scoring a career-high, six goals. He served as the team’s penalty kick specialist, successful on all four attempts. He started every game for the Cavaliers in 2017 and played every minute of 14-straight games beginning on Sept. 4 against UNCW. Defensively, he helped Virginia to six shutouts and the fourth lowest goals against average in the ACC.
Opoku, one of the team’s most electrifying players, led the team in goals with eight. The forward has been honored by the ACC all three of his seasons at Virginia and was listed on the Second Team this season. He was responsible for three game-winning goals and scored twice in a 2-1 victory over Virginia Tech on Sept. 15.
Aguilar capped his final season at Virginia with seven goals and four assists. He scored 16 career goals as a Cavalier with 14 of them coming in his last two years. Aguilar sparked the Virginia offense with a goal or an assist in four-straight games beginning on Sept. 22. He scored twice, his first multi-goal game of his career, against Boston College in the First Round of the ACC Tournament.