Gonzalez Named ACC Defensive Player of the Year; Four Voted To All-ACC Teams
11/12/2007 7:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 12, 2007
GREENSBORO, N.C. - Sophomore Omar Gonzalez was named the 2007 ACC Defensive Player of the Year and three other Terrapins were named to All-ACC teams, announced today by the conference office. Senior Stephen King was named to the first team while Gonzalez and sophomore Jeremy Hall were voted to the second team. Rodney Wallace was named to the All-ACC Freshman Team.
This marks the second straight season that a Maryland student-athlete has won the defensive award as Chris Seitz earned the honor last year.
Gonzalez, a 6-5 center back from Dallas, Texas, has started 40 games in his career including all 18 this season, one of four Terps to do so. He has anchored a back line that has allowed just 17 goals, the third-fewest in the conference. Gonzalez is a vital part of Maryland's set pieces and overall attack as he notched an assist in the Terps' win against NC State.
Gonzalez was one of the most highly touted freshmen in the country in 2006 as he was named to the All-ACC Freshmen Team and the Soccer America All-Freshmen Second Team. Over the summer, he represented the United States playing for the Pan American team as a forward.
King becomes the 22nd first team All-ACC selection under head coach Sasho Cirovski, as he earned his second All-ACC honor in as many seasons. He is second all-time in career assists at Maryland with 32 and his 92 points ranks sixth. With one more goal, King will move into 10th place all-time with 31.
King's three-assist performance against No. 14 Virginia tied the program record for assists in a game. He has accumulated 12 assists in 2007 which is just three away from the single-season record set by Gino Ferrin and Keith Beach in 1985 and 1998, respectively.
King, a native of Medford, N.J., has been the work horse for the Terrapins since his arrival in College Park in 2004, earning a start in every contest Maryland has played. He has started 90 games in his career, the only player in Maryland history to claim that feat.
King was a second team selection last year and was also a second team All-South Atlantic region honoree. He is a nominee for the Hermann Trophy this year and also a finalist for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award. King has been equally impressive in the classroom as he was an ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2006.
Hall, the 2006 ACC Freshman of the Year, has scored five goals and added four assists this season despite missing three games with an injury. He set a career high with two goals and four points in a win over George Mason on September 9. He has been a fixture on the Maryland attack since his arrival, playing in 37 games with 33 starts.
The Tampa, Fla. native, along with Gonzalez, was one of the top freshmen in the nation in 2006 as he was named to the Soccer America and College Soccer News All-Freshmen first teams. He was the first ACC Freshman of the Year in program history.
Wallace has also started each of Maryland's 18 games playing both midfield and defense. He is second on the team with six goals, three of them game-winners. Five of those goals came in a four-game stretch from October 16-27. He scored two goals against Villanova and NC State, the first true freshman to record two goals twice since King did it in 2004.
Maryland (10-4-4, 4-3-1 ACC) finished in a three-way tie for third place in the ACC with Virginia Tech and Duke. The Terps were given the fifth seed in the 2007 ACC Championship by virtue of tiebreaking policies and will face the fourth-seeded Hokies on Wednesday, November 14.
Kickoff for the game is set for noon on Wednesday at the SAS Soccer Complex in Cary, N.C. Fans can follow the action live on ACC Select or by tuning into wmucsports.com.
