Nov. 10, 2009

• 2009 ACC Men's Soccer Championship Site

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Wake Forest and North Carolina, two teams that share the 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference regular-season crown, join Maryland and Virginia, with four honorees apiece on this year's All-Conference Men’s Soccer first and second teams as announced Tuesday by the league office.

Wake Forest, which earned the top seed in the league’s upcoming tournament after following ACC tie-breaker procedures, picked up a league-high four first-team selections, just one shy of the school’s 2008 first-team total. The Demon Deacons, who earned their fifth regular-season crown in program history, also led the 2009 individual awards, collecting three of the four.

Headlining this year’s All-ACC first-team is Wake Forest midfielder Corben Bone, who currently ranks 19th in the nation in assists per game, after leading the country in 2008 with 17 assists, a new single-season school record. The junior is second on his team in shots (2.89) and assists (0.50) and was named this year’s ACC Offensive Player of the Year. Joining his teammate and classmate on the All-ACC first-team is Wake defender Ike Opara, who was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year for the second consecutive year.

Seven of the ACC’s nine men's soccer programs were represented on this year's All-ACC first, second and All-Freshman teams. Joining Bone and Opara on the 2009 All-ACC first-team are Duke’s Andrew Wenger, Maryland’s Jason Herrick and Zac MacMath, North Carolina’s Michael Farfan, Zach Loyd and Billy Schuler, NC State’s Alan Sanchez, and Wake teammates Austin da Luz and Zach Schilawski.

In addition, Wake Forest head coach Jay Vidovich was selected as the 2009 ACC Coach of the Year. Vidovich, who earns the fifth Coach of the Year honor of his career, helped the Demon Deacons secure a share of this year’s ACC regular-season title with a 13-3-2 overall record and a 5-2-1 mark in ACC play.

Four Virginia student-athletes and a pair of freshmen highlight this year’s All-ACC second team. Boston College freshman goalkeeper Justin Luthy and Virginia forward William Bates earn their first collegiate conference accolades. In addition to the newcomers, Eagles’ Karl Reddick, Duke’s Cole Grossman, Maryland’s Kevin Tangney and Drew Yates, North Carolina’s Cameron Brown, NC State’s Ronnie Bouemboue and a Virginia foursome of Neil Barlow, Bates, Ross LaBauex and Tony Tchani, make up the league’s second team.

Six ACC schools were represented among this year’s All-Freshman team, led by Boston College, which had three rookies recognized. Wenger, who was one of only three freshmen to be named to either the first- or second-team all-conference squads, and the only freshman first-teamer, not only highlighted the league’s All-Freshmen team, but was named the 2009 Freshman of the Year. Joining the young defender on the squad was the Eagle trio of Kyle Bekker, Luthy and Charlie Rugg, Duke teammate Ryan Finley, Maryland’s Taylor Kemp and Ethan White, North Carolina’s Enzo Martinez, Virginia’s Bates, and Wake’s Anthony Arena and Andy Lubahn.

For complete coverage of the 2009 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship, including the bracket and game results, visit theACC.com. Also make sure to check out the 2009 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship page or follow ACC men’s soccer on Twitter @theaccchamps. All games throughout the 2009 ACC Men’s Soccer Championship will be available online through ACCSelect, while the championship game will be broadcast nationally on Fox Sports Net. The awards ceremony will be immediately following the title game.