NSCAA All-Region Teams |
Messiah's All-Time Mid-Atlantic All-Region Honors
Kansas City, KS – Just two days after Messiah College men's soccer collected their 10th NCAA Division III National Championship, four Falcons were honored by the NSCAA in being named Mid-Atlantic All-Region. It is the eighth time in the past nine years that at least four Falcons were elected All-Region.
This season, the honors went to
Jeremy Payne,
Carter Robbins,
Joshua Wood, and
Jack Thompson; Payne, Robbins, and Wood were named First Team with Thompson elected to the Second Team.
Each player is a repeat honoree, with Thompson's award being his third in three seasons. Thompson led the Falcons in assists this year with 17, a number also good for fourth in the nation. He also tallied five goals while proving to be one of the most dynamic wingers in all of the NCAA.
Wood's All-Region election is his first since his 2009 freshman campaign. After missed all but 11 games between the 2010 and 2011 seasons, Wood regained top form in 2012 (10g, 10a) before leading the Falcons in scoring in 2013. His 21 goals and 49 points this season were both top-10 marks in Division III. With the Falcons' championship win, he also joined just Andy Rosamila '07 and Brett Faro '10 as the only Messiah players to win four national titles in a single career.
Payne—who scored the game-winner in Saturday's National Final double-overtime win over Rutgers-Camden off an assist from Wood—tallied 17 goals and collected 10 assists this season. With their size, strength, and athleticism, Payne and Wood were arguably the most challenging one-two punch among of Division III.
Robbins was elected First Team after again playing as one of the top centerbacks in the nation. He helped Messiah collect a miniscule 0.58 goals against average while limiting opponents to just six shots per game. Robbins' physical strength and speed also allowed for him to mark opposing teams' best forward regardless of their own pace or foot skills.
As mentioned, the Falcons won their 10th National Championship this season and finished with a 24-1-1.
