2012 NSCAA All-American Men |
2012 NSCAA All-American Women
Kansas City, KS – Fresh off dual NCAA Division III National Championships, the Messiah College men's and women's soccer programs were honored on Tuesday with All-American awards by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA).
Sophomore
Jeremy Payne and
Brian Ramirez were honored for the men, with the duo being elected First and Second Team, respectively. Senior
Alex Brandt and junior
Alicia Frey were honored on the women's side, with Brandt earning First Team honors. Frey was named to the Second Team.
For Payne, the First Team All-American honor is his first. He was the Falcons' leading scorer in their 2012 championship run, collecting 44 points on 17 goals and 10 assists. Payne developed into one of the most dynamic midfielders in the nation, as his physical play and 6'2” frame presented match-up problems for opposing defenses. The
Commonwealth Player of the Year in 2012, Payne scored 10 points alone in the Falcons' five-game run in the NCAA Tournament. He scored twice in the Falcons' title-clinching
win over Ohio Northern.
Like Payne, Ramirez also garners his first All-American nod. Another multi-talented midfielder, Ramirez collected seven goals and 10 assists this season to finish fifth on the team in points. Ramirez scored the game-winner in Messiah's
sixth-straight Commonwealth Championship victory, and also showed off his highly regarded free-kick skills with a goal against Ohio Northern in the National Title game. Earlier this season Ramirez was also named First Team All-Commonwealth for the first time in his career.
On the women's side, Brandt was named First Team All-American for the third time in her impressive career with the Falcons. Widely regarded as one of the best players in the nation, Brandt was
the Commonwealth Player of the Year this season as Messiah won their
sixth-straight Commonwealth Championship. She led the team this season in both goals (17) and assists (15). In just three years with the Falcons (after transferring into Messiah for her sophomore season), Brandt has ascended into the program's record books; she ranks 3rd all-time in career assists (35), 5th all-time in single-season assists (17), and 9th all-time in career points (97).
Frey's Second Team All-American honor is the first of her career. The 2010 Commonwealth Rookie of the Year, Frey was named All-Commonwealth for the third time in her career this season, as she finished as the Falcons' fourth-leading scorer. Arguably one of the most versatile players in the nation, Frey spent time at forward, midfield, and defensive positions for
the Falcons' national championship team this season. Specifically, Frey shifted to the defensive side of the field at the start of the Falcons' six-game NCAA Tournament run, helping Messiah allow just a single game in the NCAA postseason.
Last week, both Frey and Brandt were also
named CoSIDA Academic All-Americans for Messiah.
